Pearlcaster Guitar Review

Hi Ed,

    I wanted to take a moment to thank you for my recent Pearlcaster purchase. I have only had it for a few days and it has already exceeded my expectations! I have owned a couple of Fenders in the past and I got rid of both of them. They just were not all that great. But my Pearlcaster is a keeper!

   The fit and finish is excellent. Jeff Terwilleger's Caribbean Burst Finish is nothing short of a work of art. The bird's eye maple neck and fretboard are also eye catchers. I have left it sitting in a stand several times so that I could sit and look at all the cosmetic touches. Wow!

   But let's not forget the most important part: How does it play and sound? "Wow" again. I was thinking about switching to mini humbuckers until I heard the Duncan single coils; I'm glad I stuck with the single coils. My Pearlcaster has, by far, the broadest tonal palate of any of the guitars I own. Regardless of which position the 5 way blade is in, or where the volume and tone knobs are; the tonal palate stays extremely well balanced. I have read a few reviews online of Pearlcasters. They alleged that Pearlcasters had a thin sound and fell short of the classic Stratocaster sound. Well, there is nothing thin about sound of my Pearlcaster! It certainly does not fall short of the Strat sound; it meets and exceeds what a Fender is capable of delivering. I would describe a Pearlcaster as a 'Stratocaster on Steroids'!! (And that's without active circuitry.) Your method of direct coupling the neck to body makes a huge difference. Your bolt on neck method is probably much of the reason Pearlcasters sound the way they do.

   The Pearlcaster's playability is fantastic! The action is light, quick and responsive. The worth or value of the raw, 2200g neck cannot be overstated. One really needs to play a guitar with one of your custom necks to fully appreciate the difference between your necks and the cookie cutter necks on most other guitars. The fretboard is also excellent. All things considered, my Pearlcaster has quickest action of any guitar I own. (I think it has improved my playing. It has definitely has made me faster guitar player.)

   I really enjoyed my tour of your facility on my recent visit to Las Vegas. After seeing your small, private showroom Guitar Center and other Music stores are laughable! (The small office downstairs has more variety in stock than Guitar Center.) I would also like to thank Bob for showing me how to fine tune the setup on my guitar (learning how to fine finish fretwires was invaluable). Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're supposed come that way! My guitar was not completely set up and I like to do my own work as much as I can. The result being: A custom fit!

Thanks Again,

E. Richard Bowen