P29 Review

This popular single cutaway guitar shape offers rock solid ability, thanks to its two double coil pickups, 22 fret neck and Tune-O-Matic bridge system. A 3-way pickup selector and easily-accessed 4-rotary control grouping of individual pickup volume and tone knobs provides a host of classic rock and blues guitar tones.

Features:	6.3
Sound:	5.8
Action:	4.3
Reliability:	5.3
Impression:	6
Overall rating:	5.5
Users rating:	5
Comments:	11

overall: 6.4

Featured review by: stevo192, on june 04, 2008

Price paid: £ 30

Purchased from: friend

Features: As all the other reviews say, this is a Les Paul Copy, with all the same features of the original- twin humbuckers, two volume, two tone, three way selector Switch. It has wood I presume to be rosewood for the neck, with a plywood body and a solid wood top (presumably a cheap wood like agathis or similar). It has chrome hardware and a black finish. I'm not sure what year this was made, because I purchased it from a friend, Who had bought it second hand around 4 years ago. // 7

Sound: I didn't find the sound too bad. I am using it with a Fender princeton 650DSP amp, and can get some really thick rock sounds. The bridge pickup (in my experience) is better for chunky rhythm sounds and the neck pickup is better for creamy leads. This is a pretty versatile guitar, but it always has that les paul thickness to the sound, and is not as versatile as my Stratocaster. The pickups are fairly cheap, and produce nowhere near the sound quality of the Epiphone or Gibson les pauls. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: I cannot comment on the factory setup, as I bought it second hand. It had a fairly low action on it when it came to me, and I found the setup quite good for myself and my playing style. It had plenty of chips and scratches that come from years of use. I wouldn't say the finish is especially strong, but I have had many guitars that dent and scratch a lot easier then this. I love the way it is worn in now. The frets do seem to wear very easily though. Though this guitar is less than 10 years old, the frets have become very worn. I can only assume this is either because they are not exactly good quality or that it has had a lot of use over the years. I have had problems, however, with the pickups. The bridge pickup simply will not stop sinking into the body despite my best efforts (replacing screws, springs, etc), which is a problem for me. When the pickup is sunk into the body, it is extremly weak and will not produce anywhere near as much volume as the neck pickup. // 5

Reliability & Durability: I wouldn't use this guitar Live because I have much better guitars. I think that I would stand it, but the pickup sinking described above is a problem. The hardware would last but I would have to put some straplocks on it for a bit of extra security. I would never use it without a backup, but I would never use my £700 Fender without a backup either! You can never predict when a problem will occur so it's always best to carry a spare. The finish isn't particularly good, but I like the fact it has a beaten up look to it, so this isn't a problem for me. // 6

Impression: This is a fairly average low end guitar overall. It has faults, the pickups are fairly weak, the hardware isn't that good and the finish is poor but that it just low priced guitars in general. I cannot complain as I only paid £30 for this guitar, and have been suitably impressed at how good it is. I just needed something with humbuckers to give the fat sound now and again that my Stratocaster cannot. I would recommend this to people, it is just a reasonable, cheap guitar! // 7

overall: 5.2

Reviewed by: Lil Macker, on february 19, 2007

Price paid: $ 128.1

Purchased from: Friend guitar

Features: My friend has this guitar, as I was teaching a bit of guitar. I was using either my Vintage V100 or my Tanglewood FST-32. I think his guitar was made in Japan, and it has 22 frets. It has 3 single coil pickups, and a 5 way selector which broke after I changed it to do Sweet Child O' Mine. The machine heads stay in tune for about a second and then it basiclly drops down to about 5 octaves lower. And the bridge also puts it out of tune and gives this strange buzzing noize from the A string. // 4

Sound: I have to admit, it is good at the blues but nothing else. If you try to do any fast songs, with any strings, the strings just snap at the nut. The pickups aern't really noisy but they are quite weak and the jack has to be checked every month, mainly because it can't 'see' the lead. // 5

Action, Fit & Finish: They guitar was poorly set up. They nut was too deep in some places, and too high in others. The action was quite high. The paint was well painted, I have to point out, and the scratch board was firmly in place and was in exellent condtion, but the film was a night mare to take off for my friend. There was a huge dent in the back of the neck, but it was okay as no-one could see it. Another downside is that for the first month, the neck was sticky, so you couldn't play open chords then move straight into a solo at the other end of the guitar. // 3

Reliability & Durability: It would withstand a couple of slow songs, nothing too fast. The hardware will look as if it will last, but the actaul guitar doesn't look as if it will. I wouldn't use it without a backup, unless I really needed to. Overall, it's a good beginer guitar, not for someone Who wants to play tons of Live stuff. // 7

Impression: At the moment, I am currently using my Vintage V100. As this is my friends guitar, I think he would probaly go get another guitar, if it was stolen. It does seem worth the money as it was only £70. As I am only twelve, I haven't had anything to compare this with exept my Vintage V100 or Tanglewood FST-32, but those guitars are very good compared to this budget model. // 7

overall: 4

Reviewed by: northy, on january 30, 2006

Price paid: $ 183

Purchased from: Northern Guitars

Features: This is my first guitar, an Encore KC3 in semi-transparent purple (a dark purple almost maroon), Strat shape, made in China in about 1999. I do not know what wood the body is in the specs it just says solid wood? The neck is maple with rosewood fretboard. As I said before it is transparent purple finish and start style with a traditional tremlo bridge. It has one volume two tone (although they no longer work) with a 5-way selector. It has three single coil pickups. I would like to see locking tuners however they are not here so it goes out of tune nearly instantly. With it I got a case (soft) a strap a cable and a plectrum however I did not buy it as part of a starter set. // 7

Sound: I genrally play most types of rock, and I plays OK with most fo them, however when it comes to heavyer stuff it fails dramaticly, I am uding it iwth a watson 10w amp and it stil manages to produce loads of noise on gain. However it is verg good when it comes to blues, jazz, and more modern non-distorted rock. // 3

Action, Fit & Finish: The action was a little high although that was easilly fixed, I do not feel the need to adjust the pickups. // 5

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definatly not withstand live playing the strap buttons are too loose and the sound is of a quality too low, I woudln't trust this hardware to last due to the tone knobs already being broken. I wouldn't even take it to a gig, not even as a backup because of the problems highlighted. // 2

Impression: I play all rock, it is a good mtach for these, until you get into distortion then it fails. I have been playing 1 and a half yrs I also own a Yamaha Pacifica and it outcalsses it everywhere. I wish I had tested it on distortion in the shop as that would have made me chose maybe a more heavy metal kind of guitar for a few more quid. If it were stolen or lost I would probably go for a Les Paul immatation, I wish it had better quality pickups and locking tuners. // 3

overall: 6.4

Reviewed by: teckmaniac, on january 04, 2006

Price paid: $ 181.17

Purchased from: eBay

Features: It is a Les Paul Copy in black, it was made in Korea and has 22 jumbo frets, it has a laminated top I think. I'm not sure what wood the body is made out of on the Encore website it just says 'solid wood' which I guess means its some not very well known stuff, but it is clearly all right because it's nice and heavy and provides a good sound. It's a shiny black finish and is a Les Paul, it has a Tune-O-Matic bridge, with two humbucker pickups. Controls are, two tone controls, two volume controls and a 3-way pickup selector. It came with an amp and a strap and a gig bag. // 7

Sound: My style varies alot, but mainly I do punk and metal. The guitar is very versetile with its sound and suits me well, as it sounds nice and chunky when distorted but is nice clean too. I'm using a Cruiser Crafter amp and a RP50 digital effects modeller with it. The sound is rich and full and quite noisy. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The finish is not very good. The guitar was flawed when I got it and I had to do quite a bit of work on it, there was only one strap button meaning I had to fit an extra one, one of the wires leading away from the pickups was snapped meaning I had to solder it back because it wouldn't work the way it was. the neck does not fit into the body very well as there is a gap. The nut on the jack socket comes loose occasionally and as does the nut on the scratchplate. // 4

Reliability & Durability: I think the guitar would withstand live playing now I have modified it, but it wouldn't as it was from the factory, I don't thikn the hardware will last but this is a guitar aimmed at a beginner like myself who will be getting a new guitar as soon as they can afford it so this probably won't matter. The strap buttons are solid, but I fitted one myself so I'd expect it to be. I would use it for a gig without a backup but only because I can't afford a backup. I think the finish will last as that is pone area of the guitar that is uniform. // 6

Impression: this guitar matches my kind of music well (punk and metal) I have been playing 2 months and don't actually own any other guitars except a classical accoustic. If it were stolen or lost I would track down the thief and make him pay, but if I couldn't I would by an Epiphone G-310 ot G-400. // 7

Comments

[Vasheesht]

payed for: £131(exc deleivery)(with whole suite)

Features: 10/10
Well it has all features every les paul has, the pickupes are just 2 open coils, I could change to a humbucker and a P90 from gibson if I had money, but other than that its great, the amp that came with it is perfect for it so it makes it very good.

Action Fit and Finish: 10/10
Well mine was the blacker than black model so with the others they usually where found flawed and damaged easily, but mine had a different kind of finish which I loved. The fretboard was nice and smooth so it was easy to slide.

Realiability and Durability: 8/10
Most of it was fine but the tuning keys go out of tune sometimes in the middle of a song, the 5th fret on the top string was a bit fuzzy but im not sure if it was the string or fret. and the knobs sometimes screw out of place.

Impression: 10/10
I love this guitar, I almost cant wish for I gibson, if I wanted it to be better, all I need is some fret pattern things, a scratchplate/pickguard, a p90 gibson pickup, and a humbucker, and a few design stickers. So if you want a guitar for less than £300 that is realiable, all it needs is a few adjustments less than £100 and maybe a bit of personal touch, screw gibson, and epiphone. This one rules. (only the blacker than black one).

[Necro-cide]

You do know thats not where you review one don't ya' mate?

[sionsion]

lol

[Daniel Pearce]

lol

[millynell14]

wot a rubbish guitar and a waste of money

[weorge]

encore comes from argos, u dont buy argos guitars specially when u could get a squire for the same price

[stevo192]

just so you know, argos also sells squires

[belavista man]

Personally, I wouldn't buy it, but Encore's are good for beginners. Why buy a £1000 Gibson or Fender when you're starting out, cus you're not gonna be certain that you'd enjoy playing guitar. That would be a waste of money.

[J.J.G.]

you can get much better guitars for this price.

[stevo192]

lol i paid £30, find me a better guitar for the price

[paul1991]

I have one of these I would give it 10/10 for begginers like myself
but as a guitar against everything else I would give it about 5/10 ish