Xaviere XV900 (335-ish axe) review (long)

[FraKo]

Instead of posting thoughts on more than a thread, I'm here to write a full review of my last purchase

To have an idea about the axe, here's a link:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/xaxvflmahose.html

We're talking a bout a 335-ish knockoff, that is made for GuitatFetish by a Korean manufacturer. Obviously, the guitar mounts GFS hardware & electronics.

I bought a factory 2nd, I was unlucky since the one hat arrived had not only the wiring error that caused the price drop, but also two frets that deserved to be re-glued... so I had to pay around 90 to fix all those issues, but I must admit the price drop was VERY huge ($ 235 instead of 379). I ended with being the proud owner of a very nice guitar for a more than reasonable price

Mine is cherry burst with gold hardware, a combi that seems to have been discontinued.

Let's go:

BODY: maple, as they claim. I guess laminated top and back, as usual. Top and back are a stunning flame maple, with a gorgeous finish and a nice triple binnding (all around the body, fingerboard and headstock!). Finish is flawless, looking inside the "f" holes everything seems OK (no glue excess, etc.)

NECK: not as chunky as a Epi Dot, but definitely chunkier than a Ibanez AS73 (the other two 335's I handled in a store). I guess it's maple, too. The fingerboard is a very nice rosewood, with "diamond" inlays. Frets are dressed at the factory, no fret sprouts, very smooth dressing. Mine had issues, but it was something that probably happened after the frets had been dressed.
Back from my luthier's, the fingerboard is moe than perfect, no string buzzes. I mounted my usual set of strings (Webstrings 11/50") with a medium-low action. It's a Gibson-scale fingerboard. The chunky neck contributes to an outstanding sustain.

HARDWARE (bridge): that "gold" plate finish is not impeccable (the bridge is not that smooth underneath) but gives the guitar a very classy look. Anyway, the hardware is solid and way better than on an Ibanez.

NUT: despite what GFS claims, it needed to be refiled, as usual. It had way too high slots. But you always have got do that on all new axes, no surprise.

TUNERS: Grover-wannabe, they look and feel cheap. They're probably to be replaced

KNOBS: crappy, to be soon replaced

PICKGUARD: cheap slice of plastic (three-ply BWB). Removed, I'm a thumb picker and the guitar looks better without.

HEADSTOCK: Zemaitis-wannabee (funny as it's a mirror image of the Zemaitis design), with two rather horrible aluminium plates you can easily remove, since they're simply screwed and the headstock surface underneath is very clean (little screw holes apart). That silver color does not definitely match the gold hardware, maybe it hurts less with a nickel hardware.

PICK UP's: two thumbs up! GFS AlNiCo FAT PAF full humbuckers: warm, VERY warm, with dual-coil tap push-pull pots. 1/2 an humbucker makes NOT a single coil, but this option gives you a very wide range of options. Plus, since the split coils are reverse wired (North + South), so that with both pup's "singled" you obtain a sort of a 3rd humbucker sound in the middle switch position.
I play jazz, this guitar covers a very wide range of tones.

Having said this, may I say I'm satisfied? Yes.

I may have paied exactly the same $$ for an Epi Dot, consider the overseas shipping costed me 98 bucks. But I ended with a guitar that in my humble opinion is better finished, with a neck I like more (that's subjective, of course) and with better electronics.

Respect to an Ibanez in the same price range (AS83), this isn't second in terms of finishing (not indeed), and has got great pup's and better hardware.

The only crappy components on this guitar are the stock knobs, the pickguard, the tuners and those headstok oplates: you need just a screwdriver and a few money to fix that, when (and if) you want.

Eventually: I just received an e-mail from Music 123: they've got a special run of the Epi Dot that is NOT a dot (it's got block figerboard inlays) with a nice flame maple for $ 399. While GFS has got some bargains (blems, demos, etc.) in the "clearance" section.