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Monterey
stage series solid-body electric |
The people at Monterey provide a wide selection of acoustic and electric instruments for the budget conscious player looking to get into something that plays well, looks the part and wont break the bank. Many guitars and basses we’ve checked out in recent issues have been terrific value for money, they not only suit the entry-level player but are also good enough to be used as a quality spare when your main axe breaks down. A while back, I actually purchased a Monterey nylon-string cutaway with a pickup system after reviewing it. It sounded great, was extremely good value and had an adjustable neck, which is quite rare on a nylon. The success of these instruments on the retail level has led to the latest range of set-neck designs being introduced and the Monterey MGS-14GT is the test instrument for this issue.
Monterey introduces a classic…
The MGS-14GT is based on the famous Gibson Les Paul Gold-top that was introduced in 1952 that featured two soap-bar style single coil pickups and a gold-top speckle colour. While re-issues of these guitars cost several thousand dollars today, it’s good to know that a company like Monterey can provide a cheaper alternative. On first appearance, it resembles a Gibson but has a few cosmetic changes to avoid any patent problems. The Moustache – headstock is very similar but the angle isn’t as steep and there is a pronounced curve on the top shoulder of the guitar that separates the body from the original design. The neck has a 24-inch scale length and is made of maple with a rosewood fingerboard. There are 22 jumbo size frets with trapezoid inlays in the traditional manner and the neck is fully bound in a cream binding. The body consists of Mahogany with a maple top with cream binding as well. Hardware includes a chrome stop-tailpiece with a fully intonating bridge and Kluson style machine heads. Two P-90 style single coils are featured with separate volume and tone controls for each pickup. You have a three-way selector switch to change pickups and the gold speckle finish on the top of the guitar compliments the cream pickups and scratch-plate giving this Monterey a classic look. This instrument came supplied with a light gauge set of strings on it (.009 - .042), which for me is way too light for an instrument like this. If you’re just starting out you may want to experiment with gauges but I think a set of 10 - .052 would be ideal for this instrument, but hey, it’s a personal choice. Apart from that, once I tweaked the guitar a bit, it was ready for the big sound test.
P-90 power…
Once you put on a strap and hook up this guitar, you’ll realise that Monterey has put a fair bit of work into this model. For starters the set neck design ensures maximum strength between neck and body ensuring years of trouble free use. The full gloss on the neck and body allows the timber to come through and gives a nice slick feel when getting around on the fretboard. The frets themselves are finished off well but sit on top of the binding meaning the fret ends are exposed. While Gibson use the binding to cover the fret ends, most manufacturers prefer to sit the fret on top of the binding, as it is much easier. The P-90 style pickups produce an interesting single coil sound that is somewhere between a fat Tele™ and a Les Paul Junior. Being single coil means that they will hum with heaps of gain but tonally offer many sound options. Using the neck pickup with the tone pot rolled off a bit, produces a warm thick tone that’s great for Jazz or blues. The bridge pickup sounds a bit thin but you can definitely make it work. It’s not a hot output but will pass especially on a good amp. The overall finish is not too bad and with a good set up will play a treat. You have the option of putting an after market pickup in the bridge and you’ll have a kick-ass guitar but that’s an option for serious tone-heads, otherwise the pickups on this Monterey are sufficient.
The bottom line…
At $699.00 it is definitely cheaper than most of its competitors especially the equivalent in Epiphone, which is up around the grand mark. Both guitars don’t come with gig bags or cases and that will be an issue if you plan to travel around with the instrument. The MGS-14GT is one of several models in the stage series and whether it may be an archtop, semi-acoustic or bass, Monterey’s new range of set-neck instruments are going to turn a few heads. The main thing is you go to your reputable dealer and try them out and see if they are going to do it for you. Otherwise you can visit the website at www.cmi.com.au and check them out for yourself. They play pretty well, look cool and definitely won’t break your budget, which is a good thing indeed.
QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
BANG-F0R-YOUR-BUCK
OVERALL