Vicious Monkey LP, Outstandingly Affordable ... (Review)

Reviewed By: Jac Harrison

Purchased from: Manufacture

Street Price: $589.99 USD with Gig Bag

Up-Grades: 
Tusq Nut

Strings, DR Pure Blues 11 - 52

About: 

A single cutaway LP Copy by Vicious Monkey

Made in 2012 , assembled in Flemington New Jersey. This guitar has 22 standard frets on rosewood fingerboard with inlays at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, & 21st. A one piece mahogany neck through a solid chambered mahogany body with a flamed maple laminated top and cream binding.

Hardware:

Your standard Tune-O-Matic style bridge and tailpiece in silver. 2 Volume, 2 tone controls speed knobs. Grover 14:1 machine-heads Gibson style.

Electronics:

We went with the standard passive electronics, neck and bridge alicino humbucker pickups, with 3-way toggle. 

 

Sound Neck:

It has a warm round well balanced tone that you would expect form an LP. Great for blues Jazz and mellow rhythms.

Sound Bridge:

Bright with a good amount of attack, personally I would have like a little more output from the bridge pickup.

Sound Together:

A little thin, but when I rolled back the bridge to 8 it was just right and every note came through strong.

Action, Fit & Finish:  

This guitar was clean with a few small minor cosmetic imperfections, the action was low without any buzz.

Reliability & Durability: 

This guitar is pretty reliable. I played it for 3 hours and the tuning held up for the most part. The intonation was dead on and the frets where smooth with a proper fit. No noise, no crackling knobs. It's just built well.

Impression:

If I was given this guitar to play not knowing the price I would have put it in the $1,200 - $1,500 range. When you are spending less than $700 for a guitar you normally get a piece of junk that is massed produced. This guitar is outstandingly well-built for it's sticker price. I would prefer this guitar over any Epiphone or Gibson LP in its price range. With the weight just a 7.8 lbs you can play it all night without killing you back!!

My advice 

Buy It, plug it in and turn it up!!!!  

Contact: 

908-788-9800   

Vicious Monkey Music
433 US HWY 202
Flemington, NJ 08822

viciousmonkeymusic.com

Posted 04/2012