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Northstar-kitaroiden testi löytyy TÄÄLTÄ.
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Testi nyt Rockway-blogissa: Northstar Guitars
Review: Flight DUS410QA – DUC380CEQ – NUT310
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Tämän testin alkuperäinen suomenkielinen versio löytyy Rockway-blogissa.
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Slovenian company Flight focuses entirely on ukuleles and has been able to expand its range considerably in recent years. The design of the instruments is European, but the ukuleles are made in the company’s own factory in China.
Tampereen Musiiki has recently become the brand’s new importer in Finland, which I thought was a good opportunity to try out three different ukuleles from Flight’s range.
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Flight’s NUT310 (119 €; includes bag) is a basic tenor-sized ukulele with a rosette decorated with beautiful shamanic symbols, laser-etched into the wood.
The NUT310’s soundboard is made of sapele mahogany plywood, while the neck is carved from African okoume. The neck is made from one long piece, with one piece added for the neck heel and another for the peg head. The neck is glued to the body at the 14th fret.
The fingerboard and bridge of this tenor ukulele are made of walnut. The neck hold 18 well-installed frets. The position markers are round. Both the bridge saddle and nut are made of genuine bovine bone. The nut is 35 mm wide.
The Flight NUT310 has open, guitar-style tuners with black plastic knobs.
All Flight instruments have at least a strap pin at the soundbox’ butt end, allowing a standard guitar strap to fit without any problems.
The Flight NUT310 is comfortable to play and has a beautiful, round, and resonant sound.
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The Flight DUC380CEQ (149 €; incl. gig bag) is a concert-sized ukulele with a cutaway and an active preamp. The DUC380CEQ is available in four different colors – amber, coral, topaz and jade (like the test instrument). The laser-cut rosette consists of Inca-style animals.
The soundboard of the DUC380CEQ is made of mahogany plywood, too, while the neck is made of okoume. The uke’s body has a beautiful cream-colored binding on both the top and bottom.
The neck structure is similar to the other two instruments in the test. The neck is glued to the body at the 14th fret.
The concert ukulele’s fingerboard and bridge are made of walnut. The fingerboard is decorated with black binding. The fingerboard holds 17 neatly installed frets. The position markers are finger-shaped inlays placed on the bass side of the fretboard, like on some Gretsch guitars. Both the compensated bridge saddle and the top nut are made of genuine cow bone. The saddle width is 35 mm.
This model uses modern closed tuning machines with black plastic knobs.
Mounted on the side of the bass side rim is Flight’s own FU-T3 preamp, which is used to shape the signal of the piezo mic located under the bridge. The preamp is powered by two button batteries, their compartment can be found at the bottom of the soundbox next to the output jack. In addition to a volume control, the FU-T3 preamp offers a three-band EQ, as well as an internal chromatic tuner.
Successfully installing a piezo microphone on ukuleles is relatively difficult, because the piezo works best when the strings are pressed tightly against it. Due to the short scale, ukulele strings are quite loose, which often results in the C and E strings sounding louder than the G and A strings. The DUC380CEQ that we tested also suffers from the same problem – so using a compressor is recommended.
Acoustically, the Flight DUC380CEQ sounds very beautiful, with the slight midrange emphasis typical of a concert ukulele. The ukulele is very comfortable to play.
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There probably aren’t many ukuleles with a quilted ash body, but Flight’s DUS410QA (159 €; incl. gig bag) is just that. The strong cloud-like pattern on the plywood of this Flight model is very impressive. The top of the soprano model has a multi-layered edge binding, while the bottom of the body has a single-layer decorative strip.
A very beautiful walnut fingerboard is glued to the front of the okoume neck, where 12 frets are very neatly seated. The DUS410QA model’s impressive multi-piece fingerboard inlays are reminiscent of inlays on a 1930s Gibson Advanced Jumbo model. Both the walnut bridge saddle (compensated) and the instrument’s nut are made of genuine bovine bone. The saddle width is 35 mm.
Such an impressive instrument is just the ticket for gold hardware – a strap pin, as well as modern tuners with black (wood patterned) plastic knobs.
The Flight DUS410QA soprano has a suitably bright, yet strong sound, and it projects its sound surprisingly well.
Review: Fender Blues Junior and Groove Pro harmonicas
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Alkuperäinen juttu on ilmestynyt Rockway-blogissa.
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In March 2025, Fender released two new harmonica models.
The smaller of these is the very compact diatonic Fender Blues Junior (€35), which is available in three keys (C, G, and A). The other new addition is the company’s first chromatic harmonica, called the Fender Groove Pro (€79).
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A standard diatonic harp with ten holes is already a nice compact instrument that fits easily in a trouser pocket. However, almost all manufacturers have always had even smaller instruments available for different purposes.
About 15 years ago, the German traditional manufacturer C.A. Seydel found a new approach to the miniature diatonic harmonica when it invented its Big Six collection. In the Big Sixes, the distance between the holes remains the same as in a full-size harmonica, but instead of ten channels, only the first six were offered. According to Seydel, most blues players usually only use these holes, because the bends are best done in these, and therefore the missing high notes are not a problem at all.
Fender’s brand new Blues Junior 8-Hole Diatonic model is based on the same idea, but offers two channels more tonal range than the Seydel Big Six. The harmonica is sold with a lanyard and a cleaning cloth.
The Fender Blues Junior’s design is very sleek and beautiful. The steel covers have a matte finish, while the harp’s comb is made of black ABS plastic. The appearance of the Blues Junior resembles a slightly smaller version of the Hohner Golden Melody model.
Because the channels on the front of the body have round holes, at first glance it may seem that they are closer together in the new Fender than usual. However, the distance between the channels is the standard 7.5 mm.
Fender’s contract manufacturer seems to have top-notch quality control, as the Blues Junior is suitably airtight, while the sensitivity of the phosphor bronze reeds has been adjusted appropriately.
The Fender Blues Junior harmonica is precisely tuned and very comfortable to play. The Blues Junior is a pleasantly loud harp with a deliciously crunchy sound.
In the demo above, I have used a model of a distorted tweed amplifier.
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Since each air channel in a chromatic harmonica is connected to no fewer than four reeds, so-called valves have been found in chromatic models almost from their inception.
In modern instruments, the valves are made of lightweight plastic. They are narrow flaps that are glued to the reed plate at the opposite end of each reed. Thanks to the valves, when you blow into the harp, the air only goes through the blowing reed of the channel, while during drawing, the air only flows through the reed that is played during the draw.
The advantages of valves are – in addition to airtightness – the more precise attack of the chromatic harmonica and a louder sound. On the other hand, valves make bends practically impossible, because bends are based on the modulation caused by the opposite reed of the same channel. In addition, the valves can sometimes stick to the reed plates due to the humidity of the exhaled air, which makes it difficult to sound the reed and can give the attack a slight duck whistle-like roughness.
Because valves add to the price of chromatic harps – but also because of the drawbacks of valves – a new wave of cheaper, valveless chromatic harmonicas has emerged in recent years. According to bloggers and YouTube testers, the Chinese manufacturer Easttop seems to be a fairly high-quality manufacturer of affordable chromatic harps.
Why do I mention the Easttop brand here? Well, because Fender’s brand new Groove Pro Chromatic is clearly manufactured by Easttop – it’s a so-called OEM version – of their own Forerunner 2.0 model. The abbreviation “OEM” comes stands for “original equipment manufacturer”, and it means that the manufacturer does not put their own brand logo on the product, but the logo of the brand in question – in this case Fender.
In any case, Fender’s new Groove Pro seems to be of very high quality and its transparent comb has a nice weight, which increases the volume and ”weight” of the sound in chromatic harmonicas. The Fender Groove Pro has 12 channels, which means that the harp has a three-octave range (c1-c4). In addition to the harmonica, the package includes a very high-quality, pencil-case style soft case and a cleaning cloth.
The Groove Pro has a very nice rounded cast metal mouthpiece with round holes. The switching mechanism feels fast and it is also pleasantly quiet. The harmonica’s reeds are made of phosphor bronze. The mouthpiece and matte black steel covers are shaped in such a way as not to cause problems with a player’s beard or moustache.
I think the Fender Groove Pro’s tuning and sound are really good. The new harp’s airtightness is also a positive surprise – although it does require a little more air to play than a harmonica with valves, the difference is not striking. Although the volume of the Fender’s sound is – naturally – a bit lower than my Hohner Chrometta or Hohner Discovery, it is easier to play the lowest notes on the Groove Pro (read: in tune) even with poor playing technique, because the valves do not have the braking effect on the reeds’ attack.
Even ten years ago, wiser people than me said that buying a chromatic harp for under a hundred euros was throwing money in the trash, because the cheap harps of the time let a lot of excess air through, and because they were very poorly tuned.
In recent years, the quality of inexpensive chromatic harmonicas has increased significantly, of which the brand new Fender Groove Pro is a very good example. I can only recommend this model – and not only to beginners.
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Review: Jet Guitars JT-350 SH + JT-450Q
Alkuperäinen suomenkielinen testi on ilmestynyt Rockway-blogissa.
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Telecaster-style electric guitars are the cornerstone of all solid-body guitars. Although the original Fender model was released in 1950, the basic Tele is still in everyday use around the world. A simple “breadboard” body, a bolt-on neck, and two very different single-coil pickups, and that’s it.
Tele-style instruments are excellent country, blues, rock, and soul guitars, with their twangy bridge pickup sound easily recognisable.
Sometimes, however, a player wants something extra, something more than that old-school Telecaster tone.
We received two affordable, yet ”factory-customised” Jet Guitars models for a review from the brand’s importer, Tampereen Musiikki.
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There are three things that many people think deserve an upgrade on a basic Tele:
The neck pickup can sound a bit weak, the rudimentary bridge has only three adjustable saddles, and the square body can be annoyingly hard on the ribs.
Jet Guitars’ JT-350SH (€369) stylishly takes care of these three problems.
Despite its affordable price, the JT-350SH has added many pro-level features:
The guitar’s neck is carved from heat-treated Canadian maple, while the fingerboard is made of Indian rosewood. The neck is equipped with a dual-action truss rod, and its adjustment is conveniently done at the headstock end. Thanks to the locking tuners, changing strings is a quick task, and the instrument stays in tune very well.
The basswood body, which is bound at the front, has two bevels at the back – one in the cutaway to make it easier for the playing hand to reach the upper frets, and the other has been added to the top edge to soften the fit of the body against the player’s body. The bolt-on neck joint on the Jet JT-350SH is also rounded.
Wilkinson’s high-quality, modern six-saddle bridge is home to a traditional (alnico) Tele bridge pickup, while a full-size alnico humbucker sits in the tortoiseshell-patterned pickguard.
This SH-pickup combination (a portmanteau of “single-coil” and “humbucker”) makes a single Tele sound like two different guitars, as it offers the classic Tele bridge sound, as well as the creamy Gibson sound. It’s not entirely clear who first invented the SH-combination on a Tele, but blues guitarist Albert Collins used a custom Tele like this back in the 1960s. Rolling Stones legend Keith (“Keef”) Richards uses both modified Telecasters and second-generation 1970s Tele Customs with a factory-installed neck humbucker. In the 1980s, Andy Summers of the Police became well-known for his JT-350SH-style Fender guitar.
The Jet JT-350SH adds a pull-switch embedded in the tone knob to the standard Tele front-both-rear connection, allowing you to split the humbucker for traditional single-coil Tele sounds.
The Jet Guitars JT-350SH model’s playability is first-class, thanks to a slim neck profile, a gentler fingerboard radius (9.5 inches) and really good fretwork. The guitar arrived for review with an excellent set-up.
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In 1979, The Who’s Pete Townshend had had enough of his heavy Gibson Les Paul Deluxe guitars from the 70s, and he sent his guitar technician, Alan Rogan, to find something better for the next tour.
Townshend had also played Telecasters in the 1960s and he remembered that this guitar model was relatively light, but at the same time very durable. However, he wanted a guitar with two humbuckers, for a thicker distorted sound.
After a few twists and turns, Alan Rogan found a new company – Schecter Guitar Research – that made both guitar parts and complete electric guitars. Rogan ordered a pair of Schecters for his boss, Townshend liked them, and “the rest is history”, as they say.
Jet Guitars’ JT-450Q (€399) is a fancy double humbucker Tele, with a few more piquant details added:
A very impressive quilted maple top with a front elbow bevel, a pink burst finish, and a split pickup with a pull-switch (in the tone control).
The basic components of the JT-450Q are largely the same as those of the JT-350SH model. The JT-450Q has a heat-treated maple neck with a fingerboard made of the same material. The shape of the headstock on this model is also different – it vaguely resembles the Pensa-Suhr headstock. The truss rod in this model is also dual-action and the tuners are of the locking variety. The top nut is made of genuine bovine bone on both instruments.
The body of the guitar is carved from basswood, and the JT-450Q also has a gloss finish, while the neck has a satin finish. The back of the body of the JT-450Q features the same soft bevels as seen on the JT-350SH.
Since the Jet JT-450Q uses two humbuckers in their own frames, the guitar’s bridge is a hardtail Strat-style version. However, the strings are still strung through the body in the regular Telecaster manner.
The Jet’s coverless alnico humbuckers are connected to a three-position switch, as well as master volume and tone. As I already mentioned, the tone pot has a push-pull switch that allows you to split the double-coil pickups in half for single-coil sounds. The switch and controls are mounted at an angle, Strat-style, so that you can easily create volume swell effects with your pinky. The JT-450Q’s humbuckers are not spoiled by excessive power, which imbues them with a beautiful and dynamic sound.
In the case of the Jet JT-450Q, you can also just marvel at how such an inexpensive guitar can feel so good in the hand. The neck profile here is also a nice oval C-profile, which – in addition to the very good fretwork – makes playing effortless and fast. The low trim of the test guitars can only be achieved with very strict quality control, which seems to be up to the task at Jet Guitars.
Review: Epiphone SG Special VE
Alkuperäinen suomenkielinen versio tästä jutusta löytyy Rockway-blogissa.
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The Epiphone SG Special VE (”street price” around 240 euros in Finland) is currently the cheapest official SG replica. The letters VE stand for “Vintage Edition”, which refers to the model’s matte finish.
On the website of Epiphone’s importer – Algam Nordic – the SG Special VE is only available in matte black and matte brown (i. e. walnut), but on Epiphone’s own website the cherry red matte finish is still listed as an option. I would guess that all three options are still available at Finnish music stores.
The Epiphone SG Special VE looks a lot like the company’s own version of Gibson’s 1970s model “The SG”, especially in the walnut finish.
Should you fancy a gloss finish and chrome covered pickups, I can point you to the brand-new Epiphone SG Tribute model, which will probably replace the Special VE over time.
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The Chinese SG Special VE is a very affordable instrument, which is why the guitar offers slightly unconventional detail solutions in some areas. However, the workmanship is of surprisingly high quality throughout – at least on the review instrument.
The Epiphone’s body is carved from poplar. Poplar is a basic, good instrument wood, its only ”flaw” being the wood’s dull grain pattern, which is why Music Man, for example, only uses it for solid-coloured instruments.
On the SG Special VE, this has been solved by gluing very nice looking veneers of African mahogany onto the flat middle sections of the body (front and back). This trick also preserves the traditional mahogany look of SG guitars in the VE model.
The Fender-style neck joint is a very rare solution in Gibson-style guitars these days, but it fits well on this affordable SG, especially since the joint is really tight and neat. The Epiphone SG Special VE’s neck is made of beautiful Gabon mahogany (another name for the wood is okoume). The neck is basically a one-piece affair, with a second piece added for the upper end of the headstock. The glue joint is visible below the e-string tuners.
Although this is not mentioned anywhere in the official specs, the SG Special’s reddish rosewood fingerboard has been given black plastic binding. The fingerboard is neatly fitted with 22 medium-sized frets, as well as round pearloid fingerboard inlays.
The hardware department consists of Epiphone’s Lock-Tone bridge and tailpiece, as well as inexpensive closed tuners. These machine heads are regularly criticised, for example in YouTube videos, for being ”bad at keeping the guitar in tune”.
In reality, this perceived problem is based on the fact that modern tuners usually have a tuning ratio of 18:1 or even 20:1. The pair of numbers tells us how often the tuner knob must be turned so that the tuner’s post (where the string is attached) turns one full turn. Special VE’s very affordable tuners, on the other hand, operate with a “coarse” ratio of 14:1 – the same ratio seen on many acoustic guitars from the 1970s. These old-fashioned tuners have a slightly jumpier character when it comes to tuning – it is very easy to turn past the correct pitch – and also have significantly more “play” than modern machine heads. As long as you remember to always tune each string up from flat to the correct pitch, these tuners work reasonably well, and there are no problems with tuning stability.
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The Epiphone SG Special VE features the company’s own open 650R and 700T humbuckers, which are very powerful pickups with ceramic magnets. This pair of pickups represent Epiphone’s affordable take on Gibson’s 1970s Dirty Fingers humbuckers, and they have a very strong midrange and big bass.
Traditionally, two-pickup Gibson or Epiphone electric guitars often have a group of four controls in addition to a three-position toggle switch. For modern guitarists, a master volume control that affects the entire guitar is – especially in live situations – often a more functional solution than individual controls for each pickup. Also for beginners, a solution like the SG Special VE, which offers only master volume and master tone controls in addition to the switch, is clearly a better option.
The electronics compartment of the Epiphone test guitar is very clean, as are the solder joints. The parts themselves are – naturally – inexpensive, but I didn’t find anything to complain about in terms of functionality.
Can a guitar in this price range, with a bolt-on neck and a body made from ”the wrong type of wood”, be a real, proper SG? Comparing the Epiphone with three other SGs, I can say that the short answer is “yes!”
I find it very funny that both Gibson’s and Epiphone’s headquarters are apparently afraid to tell people about the real neck profiles of their guitars. Everywhere you look these days, it (almost) always says “slim taper D-neck”, regardless of the model. Do Epiphone’s decision-makers really think that players would be afraid of anything other than thin 90s profiles?
In reality, the neck profile of the Epiphone SG Special VE model is a nicely rounded, but not too thick D-profile, which I think suits an SG-style instrument very well.
There was nothing wrong with the review instrument’s set-up, and the guitar’s playability is more than okay, especially considering the Special VE’s low price.
The Epiphone’s balance on the strap is even slightly better than on many average SGs, because the neck sits about two centimeters deeper in the body than usual, due to the Special VE’s bolt-on neck.
The Epiphone SG body sits nicely in the lap and hangs comfortably against the player’s body when using a strap.
The review instrument’s acoustic voice is very healthy, and I didn’t find any disturbing dead spots.
If you use the Epiphone SG Special VE model with a vintage-style amplifier that doesn’t have a master volume control – like, for example, with a good Fender Champ copy – the instrument’s hot pickups get more distortion out of the amplifier, which I think is a good thing.
With effects pedals, it’s worth using the SG Special VE’s well-functioning master volume, because some effects – for example, some overdrives and many modulation effects – can easily ”clog up” with very hot pickups. But this is what controls on an electric guitar are for.
In my opinion, the Epiphone SG Special VE is a surprisingly nice guitar for the money. It offers a lot of mileage at a really budget-friendly price. If you like the look of the SG, the Special VE is definitely an instrument worth trying out.
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Does a Groove Tubes FatFinger really add sustain?
Does a Groove Tubes FatFinger-clamp add sustain to an electric guitar?
** Listen with headphones or using stereo monitors! **
My own little test proves inconclusive, with the results seemingly more dependent on things such as plectrum attack and vibrato than on the FatFinger.
In the clean clip the track without the FatFinger seems to sustain longer, while in the overdriven clip the result seems the other way around.
• Guitar: 2006 Epiphone SG (G-400)
• Pedal: Mad Professor Simble OD
• Microphone: Sennheiser e609
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