|
|
Failed to execute CGI : Win32 Error Code = 3 |
| Free from a music retailer near you. |
 |
Monterey MST3 ‘Stage Series’
Electric Guitar |
On behalf of the good folk at Australian Musician magazine I gave Monterey’s " Stage Series" MST3 electric guitar a thorough workout. Having no idea what type of guitar I would be reviewing, the guitar arrived in a cardboard case and I silently cursed, imagining that I wasn’t going to have a very enjoyable assignment. As soon as I picked it up and felt the neck I realised how wrong I was – this guitar is far too good for a cardboard case!
The solid alder body is contoured nicely and balanced well, and is of medium light weight. This one is a fantastic colour, a very deep blue with a small metal flake throughout. Monterey’s website describes it as dark metallic blue. The paint work is rich and lustrous and probably what I would expect of the paint job on the latest Monaro. Complimented with a pearl scratch plate that really sets off the colour this is an eye-catching guitar and one that will look great on stage. This model also comes in a metallic red, metallic gold, black & sunburst
The guitar has a one piece, four bolt, hard maple neck, I’m not sure of the exact radius; it seems just a fraction wider than a US standard and is nicely rounded. Quite frankly I like this thicker radius and appreciate the fact that the neck has not been over glossed: It is silky to the touch and you can still ‘connect’ with the wood. The heel is a little chunky but this doesn’t really reduce playability as the generous cutaway allows for easy access to the upper frets. There is also a recessed, bullet style truss rod which is easy to get to for adjustments. The hardware is unexceptional, die cast machine heads which should be fairly rugged and standard string retainers which could possibly be better placed with graphite trees if you are a whammy enthusiast.
The rosewood fretboard has 22 frets and is a good thick slab that I would imagine will last well and should only get better with age. It is a nice dark grain and is set of well with pearl dot inlays. Standard gauge frets, which I personally would like to see finished a little smoother on the edges, complete the fretboard.
The MST3 sports a traditional style tremolo unit with 1 Humbucker and 2 single coil pickups, it has a master volume and two tone controls, with a 5 position pickup selector switch.
Because of the addition of the humbucker the configuration of controls and selector switch is obviously different to that of a US Standard electric and I find this makes for some interesting rhythm tones.
I played this guitar through an early 100 watt JMP Marshall Head and Quadbox loaded with Celestions I found that it had an efficient signal and yields enough scope for a large tonal range. Firstly with the humbucker in the bridge position, it was ‘mid-rangey’ to ‘toppy’ which was easily smoothed out with a few adjustments to the amp making for nice lead tone. Then trying the middle single coil pickup in conjunction with the humbucker, it still surprisingly captured that notorious American electric ‘out of phase’ tone that is often sought after.
Then the middle position with all pickups ablaze: this is a position I particularly liked because it gave a nice ‘glassy’ to ‘jangly’ rhythm tone which I wasn’t expecting. By adjusting the first tone control you are then able to taper the treble down to a nice mid rangy, funky sound, which could also be interestingly applied for some solos.
Using the two single coils gives a nice throaty blues tone, somewhat reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan. The neck single coil is much the same tone but ‘bassier’, again the bass can be rolled off by using the tone controller that activates these pickups.
It’s worth mentioning the merit in some generic pickups as these ones have proved to be as worthy as some more ‘notable’ brands In my opinion it can be easier to personalise your sound when you steer away from more common standards.
Monterey’s no nonsense approach to guitar making is to be admired and their mission to provide quality and tone whilst keeping the products affordable has been realised. With the MST3 retailing for around $299 it is definitely a lot of guitar for your money!
Remember if you buy one please get a good case, as I told you before this little beauty is far too good for a cardboard case.
QUALITY:
PLAYABILITY:
BANG-F0R-YOUR-BUCK :
OVERALL :
