Official Announcement Regarding 60 Cycle Hum: Guitar Podcast the boxing and the first impression video review. Firstly I do appreciate his practical and honest reviews. He pointed out a few flaws in detail of our unicorn 204 pro gold top model. I have questioned our QC team and manufacturing staff. How does it pass the manufacturing product line and final QC check? They told me that there are a few that were messed up and out of quality control. Actually, I was shocked. Super surprised to me, it did happen to Bad Cat Instruments. It is a shame that we got such an unaccepted QC problem. Personally, I do apologize for this happening to Bad Cat Instruments. So any of your guys, if you get any quality control issues with our products, please ask for an exchange or do the return with full money back. I completely understand. It is fair enough. I do not want our customers to get a hard time with Bad Cat Instruments ever. However, to be honest, the average QC for Unicorn 204 pro is above the one which is reviewed on the 60 Cycle Hum: Guitar Podcast channel. Also, it is a sub to the 300 us bucks range, not really close to 400 at all. Sincerely great appreciate all folks who always trust, support, and encourage us to improve. The is all matters for us to be better and better. We will take care of the QC issues more seriously not limited to Unicorn 204 pro, AC-230, Guitar Kits. We are taking action to double-check our QC team and QC processes to make sure everything for QC check will be taken place smoothly. To all of our customers and supporters. Sincerely I do apologize for this. I hope there is never to have a hard or tough time with Bad Cat Instruments. We take full responsibility for our products and services. Jason Shengze Jia Bad Cat Instruments
Just ordered this guitar, suppose to arrive tomorrow super stoked to try it out! Looked at a lot of reviews and people playing it on UA-cam and everyone said it’s overall a great guitar which in turn made me purchase it lol cheers
It was an honest review. You can get better in the $400 price range. This should be competing with the Firefly and Eart guitars, not Epiphone and Squire.
I sumwhat agree. Im not sure if it is with the firefly but it definitely is not with Epiphone yet. I have to say I also do not have much experience with firefly.
Thank yo0u so much for being honest! Reviews like this are a big part of how people decide on instruments. I love that you laid out what was good and what was not good, and gave your overall rating. Like if I decided the things you dinged this for were not so important to me, I would still go for it, but if I was really coming with little reference, you are upfront about there being other stuff in the price range that is generally better.
Seems like a pretty great guitar for under $400. Might seem like a none issue for many players, but it definitely has one of the best looking headstocks, I’ve seen on a budget guitar. Sure wish they had all these affordable options, back in the mid 70s, when I started playing.
I could tell that you really wanted to like it but it just wasnt there. I was feeling the same way. great video in terms of helping us feel what you feel. I really love a goldtop and wanted it to be better. well done
I agree. There is just too much budget guitar competition right now to be lazy with QC. Unless you are buying cheap guitars to have many, much of this demographic wont have the experience to workout the QC issues. When you factor in possibly $100 - $150 in tech charges to make it right, add in the finish uglies and now you are way into it and could have bought something even nicer based on what you actually spent for the guitar and to make it right.
There are two kinds of cheap/off-brand guitar reviews on YT: (1) the affiliate program/recommend-at-any-cost kind and (2) the honest ones. Ryan's are the latter, and I respect him for that.
I do make a portion of my living with affiliate earnings, but I don't believe there is any benefit in misleading my audience. It might lead to short bursts of income but then id lose the trust of the audience, its not worth it.
Thanks for your indepth review. With the 20% coupon, this is actually a $295 guitar. You're the only person who has ever pointed out the Microphonic pickups for lower-end guitars. I agree they would probably need to be replaced. Many players would also want to replace the nut with a TUSQ nut. There's another guitar I recommend you review: The $289 Xaviere PRO510, also a Les Paul style. The Xaviere's have easy to replace Kwikplug pickups and they sell many pickups.
I'd like to see you drop those leftover Gunstreet PU's into this, and maybe hit them up for a new wiring harness. Also new tuners if you're going to fix all these issues. A $400 guitar with $200 QC problems.
For $200, I'd fix it up as a project guitar. For $400, I'd send it back and get a Squier Classic Vibe or an Epi SG or such. Intonation, no big deal, I expect to have to swap strings an do my own setup on any new arrival. But nut issues? UNACCEPTABLE. Finish, meh, I buy a guitar to play, not look pretty with. Decent fretwork and a decent nut are critical! ps. Love the honesty, it's why I subscribe!
This is actually a $295 guitar with the coupon. I agree with what you're saying. Most people will want to replace the nut with a TUSQ bone nut anyway to make it sound better. Those pickups aren't very good though and that's a higher bill.
Would seem prudent for guitar makers at the lower price points to just move away from using the covered humbuckers. There is nothing wrong with black, white or zebra bobbins. Heck they could even get inventive and find/make bobbins with some kind of chrome look. Probably easier than correcting the the manufacturing process for covered pickups.
Looks exactly like my Firefly Gold top. Must be made in the same factory. Same specs too. Had to do a lot of work on my two Firefly's to get them where I wanted them. Noticed on the Bad Cat site that they dropped the price on this guitar as well. Nice vid Ryan!
A decent Epiphone Les Paul is currently $800. I remember when a Gibson Les Paul was the same price, and it wasn't too long ago. But this guitar is not at the same pricepoint of a contemporary Epiphone Les Paul, it is a lot less than half the price.
Merry Christmas, brother, to you and your family. Prices have gone up lately for all guitars. Those of us who came in on "the ground floor" before the pandemic appreciate the bargain prices. Chinese artisans are superb. I have purchased a number of excellent tone (after setup) Stradivari "Messiah" copies, and a complete collection of Chinese Gibson models with added abalone trim. Same with Martin's top of the line copy: a Custom Shop OM-41. A most caressing tone I could hear all day. Among all of my instruments, there is always one that shines above the rest.
Ryan. That's a cool guitar. Definitely getting the 2000s DeArmond guitar vibe here. That said, I think you are right, at the price point I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special that all I did was upgrade the wraparound to a Wilkinson and swapped stock capacitors for Orange Drops. Of course I did Dunlop straplocks as I do for almost all my electrics. This guitar would be a great mod platform, that said, I already have a load of those already. I think a upgrade to the elctronics to a CTS/Switchcraft/Orange Drop and some new pickups would improve things as would prefered pickups. The guitar looks cool and sounds alright but for that price point Epiphone has them licked.😸😎🤘✨
The splotchy marks on the edge of the body was the deal breaker for me. I have several older Bad Cat guitars from years ago and the Unicorn I have from then was a great deal... but it was also $150 cheaper than they're asking now on Amazon for the model you have here... which is what has kept me from considering getting another one to mod/refinish. I'm also confused about why they went with unbranded generic tuners- on their Tele style guitar they were selling a year ago they had custom branded tuners which are actually pretty good. That said, if you do something to yours I think a candy red over the gold top would look awesome since gold is one of the best bases for candy red to go over. Thanks for the honest review.
Just get a Harley Benton sc550 2 instead for less. Lol. I just did and love it. Other than some low e fret buzz that I fixed it’s a killer guitar otherwise the HB had zero other issue out of the box.
the harley benton has a strange body shape for the single cut i love my harley bentons still, but for les paul’s i think i’m gonna go bad cat or rondo sx they have accurate body shape not the sharp horn on harley benton
I have been impressed with the SX VTG strat series. I haven't had one with any finish problems and they make great mod platforms. Have bought and modded 5 this year and not a single one has a standard SSS config. So far my favourite config is a tonerider rebel 90 in the bridge and an iron gear pig iron single coil in the neck. 1 volume, 1 tone, set well away from the strings so the knobs don't get in the way like the normal strat knobs config does. Best part is they are inly a couple hundred dollars new.
TBH I bought a Gibson SG Kirk Douglas model and it had almost as many issues as this. Neck had a weird spot like a bit of a dip on the treble side around the 14th fret. Nut was cut like hell, it has a maestro vibrato and combined with the shallow neck joint it has been a tuning nightmare. No microphonic pickups, or blemishes in the finish but still...QC is not just a problem in cheaper guitars.
60 Cycle H which do you recommend more the firefly fflps or the bad-cat unicorn because I'm being wanting to buy a guitar but I don't no which one is better.👍
I got mine last month for 300 bucks us shippinh amd tax. I didnt have any of the issues u spoke of, i think they r hit and miss. My finish has a few small flaws that r mostly unnoticeable, tone is great, after a setup it plays like any Les Paul. The string nut is probly the only thing im gonna replace, maybe pickups in the future. Im playing it thru a Crate Vintage Club 20 tube amp and it sounds great. Good review, honest amd true.
Let us know if they end up paying you - I’m dying to know! Hopefully they’ll be cool and use your feedback to improve the product. Then you can follow up with their improvements if they tell you what they’ve done to correct the issues on the assembly line and send you a new guitar to compare. You made the right call. I’ve seen $200 guitars with less issues. At $400, there are too many problems. I’d be very upset and would likely exchange or return at this price point. There were too many blemishes (you forgot the ones by the bottom/jack), the microphonic pickups would drive me insane, and the nut should be made correctly at this price point. The fret ends aren’t a huge deal nor is the action - those are common setup issues. It’s tough when you want to like a guitar. I hope BadCat will see your negative feedback as a positive so they can do something to correct the issue rather than selling poor products that upset customers. You did have a positive experience with the prior lucite guitar they sent, which gives me hope that they can fix the problems with this guitar too.
I paid £90 second hand for one of these 2 years ago. The finish around the neck pocket is seriously bad but the electrics didn't work at all despite being factory. How it got through QC I don't know. It Is still unused as I will have to remove the bridge studs to secure the earth \ ground wire. Having said that, I have other Bad Cat guitars which are fine out of the box.
Somebody FINALLY makes one that looks really good AND has a nice thick neck on it for under $400, and they ruined it with poor QC and attention to detail! 🤦🏻♂️
I checked Amazon for the Bad Cat and for the price I'd go for an IYV Les Paul, Grote LP or even a Squier Bullet Mustang. Better Quality + Fit & Finish out of the box. I'd toss Firefly into the mix, but they're so hard to get you hands on one.
Would be interesting to see how the truss rod looks. It has 2 screw truss rod cover like a Gibson. So does it have a Gibson style or Epiphone style truss rod and just a long screw going through to the back of the neck to secure ?
I'd give it a shot for that money. The finish issues wouldn't bother me as much, especially since I couldn't see them in the video, outside of the closeups.
if one is careful, those sandpaper nail files work for nuts in a pinch....again...slow is the word...little bits. But....nut files are a good investment. Any setup tools are a great investment. On the guitar: yeah..there are some issues, like you mentioned. I also say, just CNC the logo and fill it with casting resin or acrylic CNCed inlays...or a Cricut Vinyl cutter would be a cheap solution. The Bad Cat logo looks almost dot matrix resolution, or maybe it was just the camera angle (??). I'm pretty sure the folks at Bad Cat Instruments are cool with honest, productive suggestions for improvement.
If you are going full Liberace with a guitar for about $500 + CAD, you'd better get the finish right. Pickups, tuners, bridges and nuts can all be swapped out for better, but that finish can't be. If it were bunged up on its back side, it would still not be good quality control, but it would be acceptable. Bad Cat sends out a guitar with a scratch? Hmmmm?
Seems like it's a good guitar and like most new guitars it just needs a proper set up by an experienced technician who could fix the issues with the frets and wax pot the pickups.
I have seen these pop up on Amazon again recently. They used to be on Amazon a year or two ago and on their website. They had some crazy colors and choices but never any reviews. I have always been interested to know what they are about. Thanks for the review and demo - for me personally, its still a bit expensive compared to a brand new PRS SE Standard at about $600 or used PRS SE standard or 245 for around $400. I think you might even get a better Epiphone for the same price. I think at $299 I would be a buyer, but just under $400, there's just too many reputable imports without the quality quirks to choose from right now. Shoot - even think Firefly - basically the same thing sub-$200. Thanks again - awesome channel.
It is funny back in the early 70s in Australia it was near impossible to get any copy of anything Gibson that wasn't a bolt-on neck even the Ibanez copies (lawsuit diamond decal/inlay) were bolt-on necks. I had in 1976 an Ibanez Les Paul B/Beauty and later a Gold top without the Diamond inlay shape. regretfully sold them in 1980 It wasn't till I actually got to own a 1977 Gibson LP. Nowadays hardly anything Gibson copied is bolt-on. which in my opinion is great. Assuming it is made well. Funny how things change.
Good review. You notice quite a few finish imperfections and sharp frets. I don't like the printed fake abalone graphic on the headstock. There are better deals out there especially from Harley Benton.
That fret board is garbage , their QC must suck. I bought a cheap Grote SG to mod up and it blew me away , i couldn't believe how nice it was. I changed the tuners to wilkinson locking one's and installed SD hotrod pickups. The thing plays and sounds as good as my Epi SG 400 Pro , i paid $152 for the Grote.....
A lot of knit picking. I get tired of phrases like “ for the price “ and “ knock off “ You don’t hear a lot of legit players say that, if it’s good it’s good. I love mine and didn’t have any issues, but I don’t go in looking for flaws. For me Bad Cat Instruments is legit. I own plenty of Gibsons and my Bad Cat Unicorn 204 stands up to them. Every guitar company uses classic shapes so everyone other than Fender or Gibson is a knock off ? Nah. Buying a 6k guitar might impress your friends but it won’t make you a better player. That being said I am endorsed by Bad Cat , but I bought a few before the endorsement and stand by them.
I don’t think pointing out a serious tuning issue caused by a poorly cut nut is knit picking. Potential buyers need to know what issues might be present in any guitar, so that’s the kind of info I try to provide.
@@60CycleHumcast I understand, not a knock to you. I find your reviews honest and helpful. I was actually directing more towards people who refuse to accept that a smaller company can make quality gear that doesn’t necessarily need “ upgrading “ For example I had a guy thinking my Unicorn was a LP and raved about how awesome it was, then he saw it wasn’t and immediately started looking for everything “ wrong “ about it. I just don’t get that. Anyway, keep up the great videos, respect 🤜🏻🤛🏻
Because of you, I peeled off the plastic from the neck bolt cover on my '07 Fender Stratocaster that my dad bought me new many years ago. I'm finally committed!
It's almost a nice budget friendly LP.... That $400 tier is just too competitive for the shortcomings that it has.... If the pickups were actually the real deal it would probably be worth putting up with the finishing flaws and doing a setup... And if you go used on Reverb you can get a really serious Les Paul style guitar contender for the money that will come closer to a Gibson than an Epiphone LP.... hard fail in 2020. Really good pickups might make me forgive it. Should have a well cut nut for sure at this price-point. Tuners shouldn't be jumpy either.
I’ve had one of these sitting in the back of my closet for a few years. Nice looking guitar, but absolutely the worst fret setup I’ve ever gotten in a guitar - unusable, frets out in several places, not worth fixing. Hope yours is better!
I was quite surprised to see how you checked intonation. An open string and a harmonic both rely on the vibration of the string along the complete, unaffected scale length. Yes I know technically the harmonic wave can break down at different points than an acoustic wave but they are essentially the same for this purpose. The twelfth fret really needs to depressed lightly and checked that way against the higher octave. I have heard all the arguments and respect everyone's opinion but please just try that method one time. If you have a guitar that really gives you fits with the intonation try it on that. You may be amazed.
@@60CycleHumcast I am sorry. I thought you were using the twelfth fret harmonic and not actually fretting it. That's my bad. I don't think the sound was on and my eyes are fifty five years vintage. I just couldn't imagine someone with your knowledge doing that. Again, I am so sorry! P.s. I really do love the channel and I do not just go around being a jerk. I actually defended you on something else from some bone head named chicken licken later in the thread.
For $400.00....... no Thanks. I'd be looking at Harley Benton (which I've had extremely good experience with) or be looking at something used. I just found a hollowbody Cort CL1500...that does have replaced pickups, which do sound great, and it is almost perfect.... for $150.00! Screaming Deal! (I also got a CL1000 years ago, for $250.00.... LP style.... also amazing!)
For that close to the same money as an Epiphone LP, having that much wrong with it and you're better off just getting an Epiphone. Why waste your time trying to get this guitar to be an Epiphone is my point. Just potting the pickups, even if it's just the cover that needs to be packed with more wax and you've spent enough time, energy & resources to justify the Epiphone instead.
FYI $283 on Amacazon right now Dec 4 2021 $303 w/$20 coupon. Then you have to pay shipping then tax ... I wouldnt buy it though, find something that has nicer pickups. Still way to much money
i know its not a single cut, but at $400 for this guitar you're only $150 away from a Sterling Cutlass HSS. I'd save my money for a couple more months and get something like that.
Sterling guitars are excellent for the money and already have good tuners & nut. I have a real MM cutlass and it is awesome, but I also have the Sterling Valentine and it's a very respectable piece of gear.
Those finish flaws are a huge "big deal" and should not be acceptable for any price point. I've had $150-$400 Squiers, Yamahas LTDs, Schecters and Ibanez's that were completely blemish free. I'd send any guitar back for what's going on with that Bad Cat. I guess that's why I buy in person. Sometimes I will make an exception for a project guitar valued at 1/3 or less of retail price.
There are so many better options, once you hit the $400 price point. That being said, there are some Guitars out there in the $200 range, that are much higher quality than this one. When you play your budget guitar more than your Custom build's, Fender's and Gibson's... you know you've found a keeper! Keep in mind though, when it comes to budget guitars... you can order two of the same model, from one Manufacturer and... one is GREAT while the other Sucks. That's just life...
I’ve never purchased a guitar that didn’t need some kind of setup. I always check the truss rod and string height and intonation regardless of how cheap or expensive the guitar might be. Based on the playing of this video during the demo I’d say this is a fine guitar for a beginner player so this guy should like the guitar just fine.
The price appears to be too high based on the QC issues and microphonic pickups. This guitar needs too much work to be enjoyable (or at least passable) play in my opinion. I bought an epi lp studio a few years ago and I didn't notice any qc issues, nor were the pickups microphonic. Once I took it to my local shop to do a basic setup, it played fine.
That looks like a $199 guitar trying to take advantage of the crazy market. The finish issues would probably be acceptable at that price but not at double when you can get a much better guitar from a proven brand for not a lot more. It does look nice from afar though.
There ya go people. If you're dating a musician.. check their instruments to see if the clear plastic covers are still on... big ole Red Flag indicators
Hmmm... I think just about every Asian made guitar is going to need a proper setup... The nut thing would mean for me that I would have to have a professional do the setup instead of doing it myself... But at least in 2019 when I bought a Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60's I also had to get it professionally setup due to uneven frets so I needed a level job... But the pickups were leaps and bounds better on that guitar, of course it was also more money. I don't think it is a terrible deal, but you could do better.
I'd probably pay mid 200's for that used, in excellent condition, and sink the money into tuners and pickups.Over 300? Hard pass.Gretsch would be the competition, blowing them out of the water. If it's a LP, it's always gotta be gold, - and not weigh a ton.
I'm not sure I get this guitar. Seems a far cry from their ethos as amp builders. Perhaps better components and finish (qc control) at a similar price point, then maybe. Cheers. 😎
Official Announcement
Regarding 60 Cycle Hum: Guitar Podcast the boxing and the first impression video review. Firstly I do appreciate his practical and honest reviews. He pointed out a few flaws in detail of our unicorn 204 pro gold top model.
I have questioned our QC team and manufacturing staff. How does it pass the manufacturing product line and final QC check? They told me that there are a few that were messed up and out of quality control. Actually, I was shocked. Super surprised to me, it did happen to Bad Cat Instruments. It is a shame that we got such an unaccepted QC problem. Personally, I do apologize for this happening to Bad Cat Instruments.
So any of your guys, if you get any quality control issues with our products, please ask for an exchange or do the return with full money back. I completely understand. It is fair enough.
I do not want our customers to get a hard time with Bad Cat Instruments ever.
However, to be honest, the average QC for Unicorn 204 pro is above the one which is reviewed on the 60 Cycle Hum: Guitar Podcast channel. Also, it is a sub to the 300 us bucks range, not really close to 400 at all. Sincerely great appreciate all folks who always trust, support, and encourage us to improve. The is all matters for us to be better and better.
We will take care of the QC issues more seriously not limited to Unicorn 204 pro, AC-230, Guitar Kits. We are taking action to double-check our QC team and QC processes to make sure everything for QC check will be taken place smoothly.
To all of our customers and supporters. Sincerely I do apologize for this. I hope there is never to have a hard or tough time with Bad Cat Instruments. We take full responsibility for our products and services.
Jason Shengze Jia
Bad Cat Instruments
If this guitar belongs to the sub-$300 price range, why is it listed for $379 on Amazon? Pretty close to the $400 mark you insist it's not sold at.
Just ordered this guitar, suppose to arrive tomorrow super stoked to try it out! Looked at a lot of reviews and people playing it on UA-cam and everyone said it’s overall a great guitar which in turn made me purchase it lol cheers
Well watching the rest of the video I am now scared to receive the guitar lol
@@Ytreallybugginwithhandles nothing need to worry.if you do not like it after u receive it. Just return it . It is on us.
@@badcatinstruments2018 well I got it, love it. Definitely keeping it great guitar for the price
It was an honest review. You can get better in the $400 price range. This should be competing with the Firefly and Eart guitars, not Epiphone and Squire.
I sumwhat agree. Im not sure if it is with the firefly but it definitely is not with Epiphone yet. I have to say I also do not have much experience with firefly.
and now that im thinking about the pickups. Epiphone is much much better
With the 20% "coupon" this is actually a $295 guitar. The company just uses the higher price a marketing gimmick.
Yeah I don't know why anyone would choose this over a Classic Vibe or an Epiphone. The pickups don't sound very good and it needs a lot of work.
@@Cypherdude1 I still think it would be a better buy to get an Epiphone or something else
Thank yo0u so much for being honest! Reviews like this are a big part of how people decide on instruments. I love that you laid out what was good and what was not good, and gave your overall rating. Like if I decided the things you dinged this for were not so important to me, I would still go for it, but if I was really coming with little reference, you are upfront about there being other stuff in the price range that is generally better.
Seems like a pretty great guitar for under $400. Might seem like a none issue for many players, but it definitely has one of the best looking headstocks, I’ve seen on a budget guitar. Sure wish they had all these affordable options, back in the mid 70s, when I started playing.
There is a good guitar in here. Just needs more attention from the factory and slightly better pickups to justify the price
yep. Its so close to being a fun player.
Completely agree. If they address these QC issues and use better components, then this will be a good option for the price point.
I could tell that you really wanted to like it but it just wasnt there. I was feeling the same way. great video in terms of helping us feel what you feel. I really love a goldtop and wanted it to be better. well done
I agree. There is just too much budget guitar competition right now to be lazy with QC. Unless you are buying cheap guitars to have many, much of this demographic wont have the experience to workout the QC issues. When you factor in possibly $100 - $150 in tech charges to make it right, add in the finish uglies and now you are way into it and could have bought something even nicer based on what you actually spent for the guitar and to make it right.
@@60CycleHumcast the microphonic part is a dealbreaker.
Other channels love to trash gear, I always like how genuinely gutted Ryan sounds when he has to say something negative about a guitar.
It honestly breaks my heart a little when I get a guitar that isn’t up to snuff.
There are two kinds of cheap/off-brand guitar reviews on YT: (1) the affiliate program/recommend-at-any-cost kind and (2) the honest ones. Ryan's are the latter, and I respect him for that.
I do make a portion of my living with affiliate earnings, but I don't believe there is any benefit in misleading my audience. It might lead to short bursts of income but then id lose the trust of the audience, its not worth it.
The pickup "spacing" looks correct. On an SG, the spacing is different than the Les Paul. AND it sounds GOOD.
Thanks for your indepth review. With the 20% coupon, this is actually a $295 guitar. You're the only person who has ever pointed out the Microphonic pickups for lower-end guitars. I agree they would probably need to be replaced. Many players would also want to replace the nut with a TUSQ nut. There's another guitar I recommend you review: The $289 Xaviere PRO510, also a Les Paul style. The Xaviere's have easy to replace Kwikplug pickups and they sell many pickups.
I'd like to see you drop those leftover Gunstreet PU's into this, and maybe hit them up for a new wiring harness. Also new tuners if you're going to fix all these issues. A $400 guitar with $200 QC problems.
For $200, I'd fix it up as a project guitar. For $400, I'd send it back and get a Squier Classic Vibe or an Epi SG or such. Intonation, no big deal, I expect to have to swap strings an do my own setup on any new arrival. But nut issues? UNACCEPTABLE. Finish, meh, I buy a guitar to play, not look pretty with. Decent fretwork and a decent nut are critical! ps. Love the honesty, it's why I subscribe!
This is actually a $295 guitar with the coupon. I agree with what you're saying. Most people will want to replace the nut with a TUSQ bone nut anyway to make it sound better. Those pickups aren't very good though and that's a higher bill.
Would seem prudent for guitar makers at the lower price points to just move away from using the covered humbuckers. There is nothing wrong with black, white or zebra bobbins. Heck they could even get inventive and find/make bobbins with some kind of chrome look. Probably easier than correcting the the manufacturing process for covered pickups.
Looks exactly like my Firefly Gold top. Must be made in the same factory. Same specs too. Had to do a lot of work on my two Firefly's to get them where I wanted them. Noticed on the Bad Cat site that they dropped the price on this guitar as well. Nice vid Ryan!
A decent Epiphone Les Paul is currently $800. I remember when a Gibson Les Paul was the same price, and it wasn't too long ago. But this guitar is not at the same pricepoint of a contemporary Epiphone Les Paul, it is a lot less than half the price.
Merry Christmas, brother, to you and your family.
Prices have gone up lately for all guitars. Those of us who came in on "the ground floor" before the pandemic appreciate the bargain prices. Chinese artisans are superb.
I have purchased a number of excellent tone (after setup) Stradivari "Messiah" copies, and a complete collection of Chinese Gibson models with added abalone trim. Same with Martin's top of the line copy: a Custom Shop OM-41. A most caressing tone I could hear all day.
Among all of my instruments, there is always one that shines above the rest.
I really dig the sparkly gold finish and the logo. If you change the pickups and fix the nut, and change the tuners, it would be an on stage guitar.
Ryan. That's a cool guitar. Definitely getting the 2000s DeArmond guitar vibe here. That said, I think you are right, at the price point I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special that all I did was upgrade the wraparound to a Wilkinson and swapped stock capacitors for Orange Drops. Of course I did Dunlop straplocks as I do for almost all my electrics.
This guitar would be a great mod platform, that said, I already have a load of those already. I think a upgrade to the elctronics to a CTS/Switchcraft/Orange Drop and some new pickups would improve things as would prefered pickups.
The guitar looks cool and sounds alright but for that price point Epiphone has them licked.😸😎🤘✨
The splotchy marks on the edge of the body was the deal breaker for me. I have several older Bad Cat guitars from years ago and the Unicorn I have from then was a great deal... but it was also $150 cheaper than they're asking now on Amazon for the model you have here... which is what has kept me from considering getting another one to mod/refinish. I'm also confused about why they went with unbranded generic tuners- on their Tele style guitar they were selling a year ago they had custom branded tuners which are actually pretty good.
That said, if you do something to yours I think a candy red over the gold top would look awesome since gold is one of the best bases for candy red to go over. Thanks for the honest review.
$400 USD is a higher-tier Harley Benton, or middle-tier Epiphone. Shame it didn't hold up, the finish looked nice.
Just get a Harley Benton sc550 2 instead for less. Lol. I just did and love it. Other than some low e fret buzz that I fixed it’s a killer guitar otherwise the HB had zero other issue out of the box.
He DIDN'T buy it so it doesn't really matter!
the harley benton has a strange body shape for the single cut i love my harley bentons still, but for les paul’s i think i’m gonna go bad cat or rondo sx they have accurate body shape not the sharp horn on harley benton
The marks on the bottom of the guitar looks like reactions from the guitar stand affecting the finish. Did you fix your katana?
I have been impressed with the SX VTG strat series. I haven't had one with any finish problems and they make great mod platforms. Have bought and modded 5 this year and not a single one has a standard SSS config.
So far my favourite config is a tonerider rebel 90 in the bridge and an iron gear pig iron single coil in the neck. 1 volume, 1 tone, set well away from the strings so the knobs don't get in the way like the normal strat knobs config does.
Best part is they are inly a couple hundred dollars new.
TBH I bought a Gibson SG Kirk Douglas model and it had almost as many issues as this. Neck had a weird spot like a bit of a dip on the treble side around the 14th fret. Nut was cut like hell, it has a maestro vibrato and combined with the shallow neck joint it has been a tuning nightmare. No microphonic pickups, or blemishes in the finish but still...QC is not just a problem in cheaper guitars.
Thats what she said 9:03
Dr. Ryanstein needs to do some mods & tweaks on that guitar! Then it'll be a Hum Dinger Zinger!🤺
60 Cycle H which do you recommend more the firefly fflps or the bad-cat unicorn because I'm being wanting to buy a guitar but I don't no which one is better.👍
I got mine last month for 300 bucks us shippinh amd tax. I didnt have any of the issues u spoke of, i think they r hit and miss. My finish has a few small flaws that r mostly unnoticeable, tone is great, after a setup it plays like any Les Paul. The string nut is probly the only thing im gonna replace, maybe pickups in the future. Im playing it thru a Crate Vintage Club 20 tube amp and it sounds great. Good review, honest amd true.
The close up on the binding showed what looks like a joint with grain pattern continuing on two wood surfaces. Possibly painted on wood grain??
Let us know if they end up paying you - I’m dying to know! Hopefully they’ll be cool and use your feedback to improve the product. Then you can follow up with their improvements if they tell you what they’ve done to correct the issues on the assembly line and send you a new guitar to compare.
You made the right call. I’ve seen $200 guitars with less issues. At $400, there are too many problems. I’d be very upset and would likely exchange or return at this price point. There were too many blemishes (you forgot the ones by the bottom/jack), the microphonic pickups would drive me insane, and the nut should be made correctly at this price point. The fret ends aren’t a huge deal nor is the action - those are common setup issues.
It’s tough when you want to like a guitar. I hope BadCat will see your negative feedback as a positive so they can do something to correct the issue rather than selling poor products that upset customers. You did have a positive experience with the prior lucite guitar they sent, which gives me hope that they can fix the problems with this guitar too.
I paid £90 second hand for one of these 2 years ago. The finish around the neck pocket is seriously bad but the electrics didn't work at all despite being factory. How it got through QC I don't know. It Is still unused as I will have to remove the bridge studs to secure the earth \ ground wire. Having said that, I have other Bad Cat guitars which are fine out of the box.
They're on sale at Amazon for 20% off right now. Brings the price down to $295 and some change.
That should really be what it should retail given the issues it has. The pickups and neck are a dealbreaker for me.
Somebody FINALLY makes one that looks really good AND has a nice thick neck on it for under $400, and they ruined it with poor QC and attention to detail! 🤦🏻♂️
I checked Amazon for the Bad Cat and for the price I'd go for an IYV Les Paul, Grote LP or even a Squier Bullet Mustang. Better Quality + Fit & Finish out of the box. I'd toss Firefly into the mix, but they're so hard to get you hands on one.
Would be interesting to see how the truss rod looks. It has 2 screw truss rod cover like a Gibson. So does it have a Gibson style or Epiphone style truss rod and just a long screw going through to the back of the neck to secure ?
Have you happened to review any Calistos from Rondo yet? Was debating a Bad Cat. Hmmm
I'd give it a shot for that money. The finish issues wouldn't bother me as much, especially since I couldn't see them in the video, outside of the closeups.
It's definitely a beautiful finish from 4-6 feet away. - steve
if one is careful, those sandpaper nail files work for nuts in a pinch....again...slow is the word...little bits. But....nut files are a good investment. Any setup tools are a great investment. On the guitar: yeah..there are some issues, like you mentioned. I also say, just CNC the logo and fill it with casting resin or acrylic CNCed inlays...or a Cricut Vinyl cutter would be a cheap solution. The Bad Cat logo looks almost dot matrix resolution, or maybe it was just the camera angle (??). I'm pretty sure the folks at Bad Cat Instruments are cool with honest, productive suggestions for improvement.
If you are going full Liberace with a guitar for about $500 + CAD, you'd better get the finish right. Pickups, tuners, bridges and nuts can all be swapped out for better, but that finish can't be. If it were bunged up on its back side, it would still not be good quality control, but it would be acceptable. Bad Cat sends out a guitar with a scratch? Hmmmm?
Guitar's okay, but the beard is looking fine!
Whatever happened to Bad Cat guitars? You don't see them pop up too often these days.
Don’t really know. They tried to do the P4M line then sort of fell off it seems like - steve
Seems like it's a good guitar and like most new guitars it just needs a proper set up by an experienced technician who could fix the issues with the frets and wax pot the pickups.
Nice review... I guess there are some badcat color/finish options that IYV, Grote and epiphone don't offer on Amazon. is that worth the added $$$ ?
I have seen these pop up on Amazon again recently. They used to be on Amazon a year or two ago and on their website. They had some crazy colors and choices but never any reviews. I have always been interested to know what they are about. Thanks for the review and demo - for me personally, its still a bit expensive compared to a brand new PRS SE Standard at about $600 or used PRS SE standard or 245 for around $400. I think you might even get a better Epiphone for the same price. I think at $299 I would be a buyer, but just under $400, there's just too many reputable imports without the quality quirks to choose from right now. Shoot - even think Firefly - basically the same thing sub-$200. Thanks again - awesome channel.
It is funny back in the early 70s in Australia it was near impossible to get any copy of anything Gibson that wasn't a bolt-on neck even the Ibanez copies (lawsuit diamond decal/inlay) were bolt-on necks. I had in 1976 an Ibanez Les Paul B/Beauty and later a Gold top without the Diamond inlay shape. regretfully sold them in 1980 It wasn't till I actually got to own a 1977 Gibson LP.
Nowadays hardly anything Gibson copied is bolt-on. which in my opinion is great. Assuming it is made well.
Funny how things change.
For $400 you can get ESP 256s and used 401s. I would bet these bodies came out of the same factory as the FireFly's judging by the materials used.
Sounds like a synthesizer which is not good for a guitar
These are made by the same factory as firefly
That wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Good review. You notice quite a few finish imperfections and sharp frets. I don't like the printed fake abalone graphic on the headstock. There are better deals out there especially from Harley Benton.
That fret board is garbage , their QC must suck. I bought a cheap Grote SG to mod up and it blew me away , i couldn't believe how nice it was. I changed the tuners to wilkinson locking one's and installed SD hotrod pickups. The thing plays and sounds as good as my Epi SG 400 Pro , i paid $152 for the Grote.....
Looks nice
Ordered same guitar today, “Black Friday” Prime Deal on Amazon $284.
A lot of knit picking. I get tired of phrases like “ for the price “ and “ knock off “ You don’t hear a lot of legit players say that, if it’s good it’s good. I love mine and didn’t have any issues, but I don’t go in looking for flaws. For me Bad Cat Instruments is legit.
I own plenty of Gibsons and my Bad Cat Unicorn 204 stands up to them. Every guitar company uses classic shapes so everyone other than Fender or Gibson is a knock off ? Nah. Buying a 6k guitar might impress your friends but it won’t make you a better player. That being said I am endorsed by Bad Cat , but I bought a few before the endorsement and stand by them.
I don’t think pointing out a serious tuning issue caused by a poorly cut nut is knit picking. Potential buyers need to know what issues might be present in any guitar, so that’s the kind of info I try to provide.
@@60CycleHumcast I understand, not a knock to you. I find your reviews honest and helpful. I was actually directing more towards people who refuse to accept that a smaller company can make quality gear that doesn’t necessarily need “ upgrading “ For example I had a guy thinking my Unicorn was a LP and raved about how awesome it was, then he saw it wasn’t and immediately started looking for everything “ wrong “ about it. I just don’t get that. Anyway, keep up the great videos, respect 🤜🏻🤛🏻
Because of you, I peeled off the plastic from the neck bolt cover on my '07 Fender Stratocaster that my dad bought me new many years ago. I'm finally committed!
I bet that felt good.
@@60CycleHumcast it sure did!
Looks MUCH the same as an Agile!
It's almost a nice budget friendly LP.... That $400 tier is just too competitive for the shortcomings that it has.... If the pickups were actually the real deal it would probably be worth putting up with the finishing flaws and doing a setup... And if you go used on Reverb you can get a really serious Les Paul style guitar contender for the money that will come closer to a Gibson than an Epiphone LP.... hard fail in 2020. Really good pickups might make me forgive it. Should have a well cut nut for sure at this price-point. Tuners shouldn't be jumpy either.
I’ve had one of these sitting in the back of my closet for a few years. Nice looking guitar, but absolutely the worst fret setup I’ve ever gotten in a guitar - unusable, frets out in several places, not worth fixing. Hope yours is better!
I was quite surprised to see how you checked intonation. An open string and a harmonic both rely on the vibration of the string along the complete, unaffected scale length. Yes I know technically the harmonic wave can break down at different points than an acoustic wave but they are essentially the same for this purpose. The twelfth fret really needs to depressed lightly and checked that way against the higher octave. I have heard all the arguments and respect everyone's opinion but please just try that method one time. If you have a guitar that really gives you fits with the intonation try it on that. You may be amazed.
Huh? I was checking at the 12th fret.
@@60CycleHumcast I am sorry. I thought you were using the twelfth fret harmonic and not actually fretting it. That's my bad. I don't think the sound was on and my eyes are fifty five years vintage. I just couldn't imagine someone with your knowledge doing that. Again, I am so sorry! P.s. I really do love the channel and I do not just go around being a jerk. I actually defended you on something else from some bone head named chicken licken later in the thread.
My 98 ESP Horizon still has the plastic and USA sticker on the back. I’m not committed. 😢
For $400.00....... no Thanks. I'd be looking at Harley Benton (which I've had extremely good experience with) or be looking at something used. I just found a hollowbody Cort CL1500...that does have replaced pickups, which do sound great, and it is almost perfect.... for $150.00! Screaming Deal! (I also got a CL1000 years ago, for $250.00.... LP style.... also amazing!)
Bye Bye! For a lot less you could try a Rondo, or even an Indio 66DLX.
Pass. I'd spend a few more bucks for a Classic Vibe Squire . Probably avoiding all the issues you were pointing out.
So, since the nut wasn't properly cut, instead of Badcat Unicorn we can call this one the "Badcut Acorn"
Bad Guit should be the brand name
Looks like wood putty on the bottom where he saw the discoloration
couldnt justify spending $370 and up when I could get a Firefly in the $200 range. just doesnt seem worth it to me?
Not sure why this exists when you can get a Harley Benton 550 SC II for less, and that is a great guitar. Stainless frets in the HB. JMO.
For that close to the same money as an Epiphone LP, having that much wrong with it and you're better off just getting an Epiphone. Why waste your time trying to get this guitar to be an Epiphone is my point. Just potting the pickups, even if it's just the cover that needs to be packed with more wax and you've spent enough time, energy & resources to justify the Epiphone instead.
I think budget these days is around 250, this product is ridiculously overpriced, it's a shame
Bought an Ibanez for 190, and it was perfect..
"oh my gosh this is thick, I dont think I can handle this"
yeah, I hear that a lot.
5 month update:
If you look at the link, all those guitars are 100 dollars off.
I dare you to be mad about that...
These should be around $200 well they actually are if you know how to get them directly from bad cat
FYI $283 on Amacazon right now Dec 4 2021 $303 w/$20 coupon. Then you have to pay shipping then tax ... I wouldnt buy it though, find something that has nicer pickups. Still way to much money
So many jokes from that neck thickness discussion.
i know its not a single cut, but at $400 for this guitar you're only $150 away from a Sterling Cutlass HSS. I'd save my money for a couple more months and get something like that.
How is the Cutlass?
Sterling guitars are excellent for the money and already have good tuners & nut. I have a real MM cutlass and it is awesome, but I also have the Sterling Valentine and it's a very respectable piece of gear.
Graph tech nut and a bridge tweak. $12. Get an IYV.
Those finish flaws are a huge "big deal" and should not be acceptable for any price point. I've had $150-$400 Squiers, Yamahas LTDs, Schecters and Ibanez's that were completely blemish free. I'd send any guitar back for what's going on with that Bad Cat. I guess that's why I buy in person. Sometimes I will make an exception for a project guitar valued at 1/3 or less of retail price.
I would just replace the nut with a graph tech nut.
I want more guitars with HEAVY flake. Boat flake.
@7:59 - oh no! Not the Clear Tone Covers! :P
looking very groomed today
There are so many better options, once you hit the $400 price point. That being said, there are some Guitars out there in the $200 range, that are much higher quality than this one. When you play your budget guitar more than your Custom build's, Fender's and Gibson's... you know you've found a keeper! Keep in mind though, when it comes to budget guitars... you can order two of the same model, from one Manufacturer and... one is GREAT while the other Sucks. That's just life...
I’ve never purchased a guitar that didn’t need some kind of setup. I always check the truss rod and string height and intonation regardless of how cheap or expensive the guitar might be. Based on the playing of this video during the demo I’d say this is a fine guitar for a beginner player so this guy should like the guitar just fine.
The price appears to be too high based on the QC issues and microphonic pickups. This guitar needs too much work to be enjoyable (or at least passable) play in my opinion. I bought an epi lp studio a few years ago and I didn't notice any qc issues, nor were the pickups microphonic. Once I took it to my local shop to do a basic setup, it played fine.
That looks like a $199 guitar trying to take advantage of the crazy market. The finish issues would probably be acceptable at that price but not at double when you can get a much better guitar from a proven brand for not a lot more. It does look nice from afar though.
There ya go people. If you're dating a musician.. check their instruments to see if the clear plastic covers are still on... big ole Red Flag indicators
If you put a little work on it then it would be great. You should not have to and hopefully they will take your criticism to heart.
9:03 - That's what she said.
I will take a quality build Harley Benton guitar over that shite any Day of the week month or year .👌🦆
Why are those cables they give you so shitty ? Are they that bad. I bet have 20 of them up opened
I have no idea why the industry keeps sending out those crap cables. They must have ordered a billion of them in the 80s or something.
I use them as patch cables, no problem
How they gonna call it the "Unicorn" and then make it a boring Les Paul
9:03 that’s what she said
Hmmm... I think just about every Asian made guitar is going to need a proper setup... The nut thing would mean for me that I would have to have a professional do the setup instead of doing it myself... But at least in 2019 when I bought a Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60's I also had to get it professionally setup due to uneven frets so I needed a level job... But the pickups were leaps and bounds better on that guitar, of course it was also more money. I don't think it is a terrible deal, but you could do better.
They have gold top Fireflys that are nicer for $189. Badcat does not have a good track record
I'd probably pay mid 200's for that used, in excellent condition, and sink the money into tuners and pickups.Over 300? Hard pass.Gretsch would be the competition, blowing them out of the water.
If it's a LP, it's always gotta be gold, - and not weigh a ton.
With the prices and shipping, you can get a much better guitar locally.
Pretty, but almost $400 for a knockoff?
Exactly. You can get a Harley Benton LP for $189
Why do guitarist pay thousands for a guitar beat to hades but micro analyze a budget guitar?
I'm not sure I get this guitar. Seems a far cry from their ethos as amp builders.
Perhaps better components and finish (qc control) at a similar price point, then maybe.
Cheers. 😎
Different company
@@60CycleHumcast Oh...thanks Ryan...must have missed that bit.
Makes more sense now. 😆
Looks ok but that printed abalone is tacky af.
Alright. Here it comes. In
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9:03 < Thats what she said!
That Bad Cat needs to be spayed 😉
It’s like licking it…lmao