Telecaster Guitar Forum - View Single Post - Review: Xaviere XV-870 Strat

bc1957 · July 15th, 2008, 10:05 PM

Hi all,

So GAS got the better of me (although, amazingly, it's welling up again as I read about the Squier Classic Vibe 50s Strat!), and I pulled the trigger on a Xaviere XV-870 sunburst "Strat" from GuitarFetish. $239 shipped with case.

Packing: First class. Nicely boxed, not a bad case either for $39. It'll do the job for sure.

Set up: Almost tuned to pitch! I like fairly low action, and this was real close to perfect. If you like the action just a tad higher than Strat clank/spank height, you might not make any adjustments at all, except for intonation

Body: uh oh - a four-piece body, not three as advertised. Not that I really care at this price point; my long-gone 1971 Stratocaster had a seven (yes - seven) piece body. However, you really have to look for the seams. Well done, GFS.

Finish: Yep, glossy, hard, yet thin. Very nice, actually. Highly polished.
The paint job I give an A-, only because a little bit of the dark paint made it into the body. Again, not much of a concern. In fact, I had given some thought to relic'ing this thing, but now I'm not so sure.

Neck, frets, and fit: Best part of the guitar. Frets nicely finished, chunky neck, 12-inch flat radius. Did I mention that it was sort of chunky? Me likey. A 9.5 radius would have been perfect, but since I'm a lead guitarist, I shouldn't complain!

Hardware: tuners seem to be holding their own. Nice tremelo bridge - lots of mass. Pickguard was really rough - the edges look like they could use a sanding. Again, at this price point, who cares.

Pickups: Bingo! GFS Vintage Alnicos - a perfect match for this guitar, if you like vintage pickups. Maximum quack in the notch positions. Weaker output than the 57/62s in my American Vintage Reissue, but a little sweeter. Played through Fender and Peavey tubes amps, clean.

Yet a few days later I had buyers remorse and was kind of disappointed. Maybe I was comparing it to my other Strats, maybe I didn't appreciate Jay's effort to deliver a guitar that I would have loved to have had for $200 when I was 15 (those '70s $200 guitars were horrible).
Maybe I shoulda ordered the seafoam, or waited on a Classic Vibe 50s Strat.

Then I took it to my weekly open mike and had one of my buddy's play it.
"Too tinny!", he said. It was then that I knew I had a winner - heck, his hearing is all shot and from the back of the bar, clean, it cut right through the motley crew of musicians choogling through "Stormy Monday." Then I played it on "Wonderful Tonight" and that was it. I was sold.

Now, I can't put it down. Bottom line, the neck and pickups are awesome, and the assembly is really tight. Would I gig with it? Yep.
(If I could get a gig - it's really tough down here in Florida right now!)

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/...0-1_Large_.jpg
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/...0-2_Large_.jpg

Comments? Questions?

July 15th, 2008, 10:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
bc1957 TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 31 2 Photos	Review: Xaviere XV-870 Strat Hi all, So GAS got the better of me (although, amazingly, it's welling up again as I read about the Squier Classic Vibe 50s Strat!), and I pulled the trigger on a Xaviere XV-870 sunburst "Strat" from GuitarFetish. $239 shipped with case. Packing: First class. Nicely boxed, not a bad case either for $39. It'll do the job for sure. Set up: Almost tuned to pitch! I like fairly low action, and this was real close to perfect. If you like the action just a tad higher than Strat clank/spank height, you might not make any adjustments at all, except for intonation Body: uh oh - a four-piece body, not three as advertised. Not that I really care at this price point; my long-gone 1971 Stratocaster had a seven (yes - seven) piece body. However, you really have to look for the seams. Well done, GFS. Finish: Yep, glossy, hard, yet thin. Very nice, actually. Highly polished. The paint job I give an A-, only because a little bit of the dark paint made it into the body. Again, not much of a concern. In fact, I had given some thought to relic'ing this thing, but now I'm not so sure. Neck, frets, and fit: Best part of the guitar. Frets nicely finished, chunky neck, 12-inch flat radius. Did I mention that it was sort of chunky? Me likey. A 9.5 radius would have been perfect, but since I'm a lead guitarist, I shouldn't complain! Hardware: tuners seem to be holding their own. Nice tremelo bridge - lots of mass. Pickguard was really rough - the edges look like they could use a sanding. Again, at this price point, who cares. Pickups: Bingo! GFS Vintage Alnicos - a perfect match for this guitar, if you like vintage pickups. Maximum quack in the notch positions. Weaker output than the 57/62s in my American Vintage Reissue, but a little sweeter. Played through Fender and Peavey tubes amps, clean. Yet a few days later I had buyers remorse and was kind of disappointed. Maybe I was comparing it to my other Strats, maybe I didn't appreciate Jay's effort to deliver a guitar that I would have loved to have had for $200 when I was 15 (those '70s $200 guitars were horrible). Maybe I shoulda ordered the seafoam, or waited on a Classic Vibe 50s Strat. Then I took it to my weekly open mike and had one of my buddy's play it. "Too tinny!", he said. It was then that I knew I had a winner - heck, his hearing is all shot and from the back of the bar, clean, it cut right through the motley crew of musicians choogling through "Stormy Monday." Then I played it on "Wonderful Tonight" and that was it. I was sold. Now, I can't put it down. Bottom line, the neck and pickups are awesome, and the assembly is really tight. Would I gig with it? Yep. (If I could get a gig - it's really tough down here in Florida right now!) http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/...0-1_Large_.jpg http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/...0-2_Large_.jpg Comments? Questions?