Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $80
Budget/Beginner
$400
$1001+
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High-end
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Description
The First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen is an intriguing blend of automotive and musical craftsmanship, designed for enthusiasts of both worlds. This solid body electric guitar is the result of a unique collaboration between First Act and Volkswagen, offering a distinct aesthetic that echoes the style and spirit of classic Volkswagen vehicles. Whether you're a hobbyist or a seasoned musician, this guitar brings something truly special to your collection.
Equipped with a built-in preamp, the GarageMaster Volkswagen delivers a robust and clear sound that stands out in any performance setting. The preamp is seamlessly integrated, allowing for easy volume and tone adjustments directly from the guitar. This feature ensures that your sound is as dynamic and versatile as your playing style. The guitar's design includes custom Volkswagen-inspired elements, from the logo to the sleek contours, making it both a visual and auditory delight.
The First Act GarageMaster also features a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, providing a smooth and comfortable playing experience. The solid body construction ensures durability and resonance, enhancing the overall tonal quality of the instrument. With its unique blend of innovative features and classic design, this guitar is perfect for those looking to make a statement both musically and visually.
Key Features:
- Solid body construction for enhanced durability and sound
- Built-in preamp for versatile tone control
- Maple neck and rosewood fingerboard for a comfortable playing experience
- Custom Volkswagen-inspired design elements
- Seamlessly integrated volume and tone controls
Product specs
| Brand | First Act |
| Model | Limited Edition Volkswagen Garage Master |
| Finish | White with Black Pickguard, White with Dark Blue Pickguard, White with Red Pickguard, White with White Pearloid Pickguard |
| Year | 2006 |
| Categories | Solid Body Electric Guitars |
| Body Shape | Double Cutaway |
| Body Type | Solid Body |
| Bridge/Tailpiece Type | Stop-Bar |
| Color Family | White |
| Fretboard Material | Rosewood |
| Neck Construction | Bolt-On |
| Number of Frets | 22 |
| Number of Strings | 6-String |
| Pickup Configuration | HH |
| Right / Left Handed | Right Handed |
FAQs
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What kind of pickups does the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar have?
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The First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar features a humbucker-humbucker (HH) pickup configuration, offering a powerful and versatile tone suitable for various music styles.
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Is the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar suitable for beginners?
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Yes, the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar is suitable for beginners, thanks to its user-friendly design and playability, including a comfortable double cutaway body and a bolt-on neck with 22 frets.
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What is the neck construction of the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar?
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The First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar has a bolt-on neck construction, which provides a bright tone and easier neck replacement or adjustment.
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How many frets does the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar have?
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The First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar features 22 frets, allowing for a wide range of notes and playability across the fretboard.
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What is the body shape of the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar?
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The First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar has a double cutaway solid body shape, offering easy access to higher frets and a classic look.
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Does the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar come in different finishes?
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Yes, the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar is available in several finishes, including white with black, dark blue, red pickguards, and a white pearloid pickguard.
Videos
Allen Harrison
First Act Volkswagen GarageMaster Guitar Demo
First Act Volkswagen GarageMaster Guitar Demo
Allen Harrison
First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen Guitar
NERDFORADAY
First Act Volkswagen VW Garagemaster electric guitar demo
DIY Music
Reviews
PROS
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Unique VW collaboration makes it a great conversation piece
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Versatile pickup configuration with passive/active preamp
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Surprisingly high-quality craftsmanship for a promotional item
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Alnico pickups deliver impressive tone for the price
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Lightweight basswood body offers bright to mid tones
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Onboard mid boost provides a solid solo sound
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Good low action and straight neck as received
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Affordable price makes it ideal for customization and modding
CONS
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Sharp fret edges may require attention
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Preamp system limits customization of electronics
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Built-in circuit board complicates electronic modifications
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Distortion circuit not as quiet as a dedicated pedal
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen.
Mods and upgrades
Features and functionality
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The First Act Garagemaster includes an "active" switch acting as an onboard booster/fuzz, controlled by a separate volume knob linked to a PCB.
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The onboard preamp boosts and compresses sound, enhancing clean tones with the mid-boost switch for jangle, then switching off for distortion.
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The guitar's design allows it to be played through a car's audio system, a unique feature from its Volkswagen promotion origin.
Source
Setup and maintenance
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Replacing the through-hole mount pots requires desoldering from the PCB; they are not significantly more expensive but less common than regular pots.
Source
Build quality
Value and pricing
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The guitar may be valued up to $100 if it includes original extras like the gig bag, cable, picks, and strap.
Source
User experience
4.0 out of 5
Based on 5 Reviews and 11 Ratings
194
Surprisingly exceptional, especially for a first act.
This instrument is surprisingly very well crafted and high quality. The distortion circuit seems to be going after a tube screamer sound but isn't as quiet as a screamer, it's hand wired and the pickups are alnico 5. The onboard mid boost gives you a good solo sound to build on if you don't really want to use the built in overdrive. Feel of it is about what you'd expect from a first act, but if you do some basic setup work, it's a very viable instrument.
131
Good guitar, no customizability
The guitar itself and its tone are pretty good. However, because of the preamp system, you can't customize any of the electronics. The pickups are unique and the preamp won't work without them because they are both active and passive, so you can't replace the pickups. The preamp prevents you from making any big changes to the electronics because all the knobs and switches are built into a circuit board, so to change one thing you'd have to change everything else. But the guitar works just fine and the preamp is pretty cool
41029
why not just gut the entire cavity and start over?
I replaced the pickups in mine without any issues, and the preamp still works.
436
One of my favorite budget instruments
I have a Garagemaster that I've customized quite a bit, but it was one of my favorite guitars I've played with right out of the box. Absolutely loved the thing, especially through my Tube Screamer Amp
435
Free
For a free guitar, with the purchase of a car, it was a fun guitar. I kind of wish I hadn't sold it when I moved since it was such a neat novelty item. The preamp, built into the guitar, was an interesting feature that I was always scared to really use. Sound wise it was quite decent for a bonus giveaway item.
Artist usage
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In this promotional video for Volkswagen, John can be seen playing a First Act GarageMaster, which was designed exclusively for Volkswagen during this promotion.
Slash was one of the few people that did the VW first act guitar commercial.
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Peter uses this guitar with his new band Apollo Under Fire.
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Shane Gann uses a First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen guitar, originally obtained as a promotional item with a VW purchase by a relative. The guitar remains mostly stock, with some modifications to the wiring. This is evidenced in an Instagram post by Shane, where he reflects on touring with the instrument.
In the music video for Paralyzed by Against The Current, Dan can be seen playing a First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen Electric Guitar, I screwed up, ignore this one
Nathan Shope discusses his experience with the First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen electric guitar in a video from The Casters' performance at the Williamson Wiseria Festival on April 6, 2019. He mentions purchasing the guitar online after reading positive reviews, though his first performance with it was challenging due to a broken string mid-song, prompting him to switch to an acoustic guitar to finish the set.
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use First Act GarageMaster Volkswagen, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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