AXL Badwater SRO Electric Guitar, Crackle Blue Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I got this guitar b/c it seemed to have decent reviews, and looked really cool, and was wanting another non-expensive off brand axe to kick around on. In the low end catagory, I have purchased SX SST strat copy and a KY22. The strat needed better tuners, but otherwise was great. KY had a headstock so big it barely had the tuner posts sticking out.

Anyway, I knew there would need to be some mods, more than likely. If it totally sucked, I figured it would look cool on my wall.
The good:
Look: Very cool, like it has been yellowing away in gradma's attic. Which was on fire at some point.
The good and bad:
Hardware: Tuners tight, bridge/trem OK. Pickups, listed as 'EMG Designed', I doubt are. The two single coils were ok and stratty, with real pole pieces but the so-called bridge humbucker, had a plastic top with fake pole pieces stamped on it, and didn't sound like a humbucker. The guitar was noisy as hell-bad wiring or loose ground or something. Input jack and 5 way selector ok. Nut needed some graphite, and the strings were brand new .9's. The few guitars I've gotten on the net have always had old rusted strings. So, I was able to play it right outa the box, get some strat twang, no humbucker warmth though. Frets solid, but the neck was off a bit and the low E was very close to the edge of the fingerboard. That may be fixable, but not a big deal cuz who uses the high notes on bass strings that often anyway?

So,,,,I have a friend who sets up guitars professionally, and will see what the deal is with the noise and the lousy humbucker sound. If the pickups are the only thing needing replacing, then yeah, this is an awesome buy for a 200 axe to put a little work into it and a sliver of money and get a rockin guitar for under 400.

Shipping: Huge box. On time. No problems.

UPDATE 5/07/09
After a set up and some rewiring, this guitar screams! I can trem dive and it will return to pich! Snug tuners. I guess these are EMG designed, cuz now the humbucker sounds par excellence!
Customer Service-Very good. Nice, sincere people concerned about QC. My trem arm broke off at the threading. I happened upon an AXL booth at the Dallas Guitar Show in March, and mentioned my dillema. The gentleman got my info and I emailed him at the site a week later. Turns out the best way to get emails to them is through the Johnson site. The AXL link isn't connecting or whatever.
So yeah,,,I'd be changing this to 5 Stars but the damn thing won't let me.

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Product Description:
With a distressed body and antiqued hardware, Badwater Series guitars look and feel of ancient artifacts. These shocking guitars are equipped with EMG-designed pickups for hard rocking tones and clean delivery. Even the headstock and backplate have vintage distressing. No area was spared from the destruction. Badwater guitars have a one-of-a-kind style and excellent playability.The crackle blue finish looks like it was pulled deep from the ocean floor.The Badwater Series has received Guitar World's December 2007 Gold Award for Overall Value.

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