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Musikmesse ' 15 - Faith Guitars Neptune & Venus Signature Series Demos

Fabulous neck with just-right fatness. Distinctive tone profile. Smooth, stable vibrato. Ice blue metallic and aluminum look delish together.

Higher output pickups could turn off Fender-geared traditionalists.

$939

Eastman FullerTone DC’62

eastmanguitars.com

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An affordable version of Eastman’s U.S.-made solidbody rolls with unique, well-executed features—at a price and quality level that rivals very tough competition.

Eastman’s instruments regularly impress in terms ofquality and performance. A few left my PG colleagues downright smitten. But if Eastman isn’t a household name among guitarists, it might be a case of consumer psychology: Relative to most instruments built in China, Eastmans are expensive. So, if you spend your life longing for a Gibson 335 and a comparable (if superficially fancier) Eastman costs just 20 percent less than the least expensive version of the real deal, why not save up for a bit longer and get the guitar of your dreams?

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- YouTube

An easy guide to re-anchoring a loose tuning machine, restoring a ā€œlostā€ input jack, refinishing dinged frets, and staunching a dinged surface. Result: no repair fees!

This late-’90s Masterbilt was made to mimic the feeling and look of vintage luxury.

Photo by Madison Thorn

This collaborative effort between Japanese and American guitar builders aimed for old-school quality without breaking the bank.

I recently called a rideshare to pick me up from the airport and was surprised when the driver pulled up in a Jaguar. I’d never been in one and was stunned at how quiet it was, and how the backseat was as comfortable as a living room couch, but retained a refined look. This 1998 Masterbilt prototype reminds me of that airport ride.

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Unleash your inner metal icon with the Jackson Lee Malia LM-87, a high-performance shred-ready axe designed in collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon guitarist Lee Malia. Featuring custom Jackson signature pickups, a fast D-profile neck, and a TOM-style bridge for rock-solid stability, this signature model is a must-have for commanding metal tone and smooth playability.

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