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J&D
Luthier XTC Series Electric Guitars |
J & D Luthiers has a new range of electric guitars named the XTC Series. The XTC’s are aimed at the beginner to intermediate level player looking for an electric instrument that’s very affordable, yet packed with features, style and function. The guys down at Jade Australia that distribute the guitars were kind enough to send me three models in their new range. The guitars are different to most other models out there because the only wood you’ll find on them is the fingerboard. The Wild 1 & Wild II feature similar body and neck construction but differ in the hardware and setup while the Stein II is more traditional, featuring a full size body and is also the cheapest in the range at under $500 retail. The Wild 1 was the model that caught my eye first, as it looked the coolest and most interesting…
The Wild One’s arrive:
The first thing you notice about the Wild 1 is it’s unique body shape and unusual construction. The guitar has a modern yet retro appearance due to the look of the pickups, but what’s interesting about this guitar is the body and neck material. The people at J&D use a "resin-molded" polyurethane construction method that provides strength, durability and a seamless neck-through style of guitar that feels good to hold and has a rather solid, expensive feel to it. The silver sparkle paint job is offset by the solid chrome hardware on this model and little things like the Mother-of-pearl caps on the volume and tone controls set it apart from other guitars in this price range. At the heart of the Wild 1 are what Jade calls the "Radulator" pickups, which look very funky indeed. Chrome with black slots on top make the pickups look like something from the 50’s hence the name, but basically they are mini humbucker style pickups. The guitar’s scale length and neck shape provides a smooth grip and a playable feel while the 7/8-size body is certainly comfortable both in standing or seated position. Access to the controls is well placed and the fully intonating bridge is well constructed providing fixed stable tuning. You have full adjustment of the neck via the truss-rod and overall it will please those players looking for something different When you plug in the Wild 1, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The pickups provide clarity, virtually noise-free sounds and a flick of the switch here & there will take you from clean to mean without too much trouble at all. They sound very good indeed and have just that little more brightness than your fully blown humbuckers. The guitar plays very well and will no doubt last you years due to the sturdy construction.
The Wild II is the next model up and provides similar features and design but comes with a Licensed Floyd-Rose locking Tremolo and 2 J&D humbuckers. This guitar will suit the more aggressive tones and once you’ve set the Floyd, you’ll have no tuning problems. This guitar is best left to someone who knows how to maintain it, as locking systems can be a bit tricky especially when changing gauges. If you know how to do it, you’ll have no problems with using the Wild II, otherwise you may have to get it professionally set-up which isn’t a bad thing really. Again the finish and quality of the J&D’s is very good indeed and this model is no exception. They will certainly set you apart both in look and sound and must be considered if you’re looking to spend under $700.00. With so many choices out there, the main thing is you get value and something that’s going to function like it should. If these models sound a bit fancy and you still want some of the features, you may want to consider the Stein II which is the base model in the series and is a full body size with standard features and hardware. The Stein II offers a humbucker in the bridge position and 2-single coil pickups in the middle and neck positions, providing a wide tonal option via the 5-way switch. Again the body and neck is the same construction but this one has a scratchplate and a non-locking tremolo bridge and plays very well. At $495.00 rrp, it’s extremely good value and certainly different.
Overall…
The J&D Luthiers XTC guitars all came well set-up and all sounded great through a variety of amps and guitar processors even at high gain settings. A lot of guitars in this price range tend to have noisy pickups or squeal at high volumes but the J&D’s didn’t suffer from this. I suppose they have to be good because polyurethane isn’t really renown for resonance. It does work surprisingly well in this instance and should provide stability and strength over many years of use and abuse. The finishes are crisp and detailed and are certainly excellent value for money items. The best way to understand this is to go out and give them a try. I even reckon they’d be ideal for schools, as they’ll handle the heavy use with ease. I certainly wouldn’t want to be on the other end of a flying XTC guitar! If you’re having trouble finding these guitars around, give Jade a call and they’ll be happy to let you know where to find one.
QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
BANG-F0R-YOUR-BUCK
OVERALL