Pricing and availability
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Description
Discover the Monoprice "California Classic" Solid Body Electric Guitar, a reliable companion for musicians seeking vintage tones with modern playability. This guitar combines classic design with contemporary features, making it a versatile choice for both beginners and seasoned players. The solid body construction ensures durability and sustains quality sound, while the sleek finish and ergonomic contours provide comfort during long playing sessions.
Equipped with three single-coil pickups, the California Classic offers a wide range of tonal possibilities, from warm and mellow to bright and punchy. The 5-way pickup selector switch allows you to easily explore different sound combinations, catering to various musical genres. Its smooth maple neck and rosewood fingerboard offer a comfortable playing experience, allowing seamless transitions across frets.
Whether you're jamming at home, recording in the studio, or performing live, this guitar's balanced and articulate tones will shine through. The vintage-style tremolo bridge adds an expressive edge to your playing, letting you bend and sustain notes with ease. Designed with both aesthetics and functionality in mind, the California Classic brings a touch of nostalgia with all the benefits of modern craftsmanship.
Key Features:
- Solid body construction for enhanced durability and tone
- Three single-coil pickups for versatile sound options
- 5-way pickup selector switch
- Maple neck and rosewood fingerboard for smooth playability
- Vintage-style tremolo bridge for expressive playing
- Sleek finish with ergonomic contours for comfort
Videos
Bradford H Turnow
Monoprice California Classic Electric Guitar Review
Monoprice California Classic Electric Guitar Review
Bradford H Turnow
I Bought This Guitar For $70 and It's Awesome! Monoprice California Classic
Landon Bailey
Impressions: Monoprice California Classic
Andy Thomas
California Classic Electric Guitar by Monoprice - Unboxing and Initial Impressions
NetDip
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Monoprice "California Classic" Solid Body Electric Guitar.
Build quality
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The included gig bag is described as worthless, highlighting the need for a replacement if portability is a concern.
Source
Setup and maintenance
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Owners recommend replacing the stock strings immediately, indicating they are subpar and affect playability.
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User experience
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Some users note surprise at the guitar's quality given its low price, suggesting it delivers value above expectations after setup adjustments.
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Software and compatibility
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The guitar works well with Rocksmith but benefits from restringing to improve note recognition.
Source
4.0 out of 5
Based on 4 Reviews and 5 Ratings
483
Best $60 spent for a guitar
The California Classic (CC) was supposed to be a guitar to pull a Jimi Hendrix...set on fire. Right out of the box the set up was spot on and played and sounded exceptionally well for a guitar at any price. Compared to my Fender MIM Strat the sound and feel was as good. So it didn't make the bonfire.
The finish (thin paint and lacquer) is good but not near the quality of a Fender costing $500 or more but as good as any Squire or MIM Fender under $500. The tuners do keep in tune but are stiff/uneven and cheap. The pots are cheap and will fail down the road. I know since I replace a failed tone pot after two years of use. Frets need a little filing as any sub $500 guitar and some dressing of the fretboard would be recommended. The neck being straight and the head with my guitar had "MONOPRICE" on it now switch to a simpler "M" logo and likely to switch to the new Monoprice logo "IIIP". The Basswood body is light and utility routed to install any pick-up set-up. Altogether the construction makes for a Great beater/back-up, Novice/Maverick player, or Modifying project.
Compared to my Fender MIM or Lonestar the sound is a little bright but the CC has ceramic pups yet yields a vintage like Fender tone. Sustains like both Fenders.
Overall I the tone is negligible enough to use this for gigs, practice and at this price not worrying about beer spills, accidental drops-dogs, kids grubby hands, or theft; if you can withstand the gear snobbery from dumbass critics. It comes down to this you want to be known for your gear and broke or your tone/sound and pay the bills. If you fall in the latter this may be the guitar for you.
151
Good for the money
Very cheap when Monoprice has sales + free shipping. Feels as good or better than a Fender Squire and looks better to me as well. Holds a tune very well. I leave mine hanging on the wall and take it down once in a while to practice. Seems to always be in tune to just get going.
Comes in a cheap case and crud strings but not an issue for the sub $100 price. Some decent strings and some fret conditioning and this is a very playable guitar that looks good too.
Haven't had it long enough to comment on reliability.
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