New Zealand
United Kingdom
GM1 Grungemaster
By: Ian Hemmings on 30 April 2025A fantastic guitar. I'm a bass player who has found himself in the position of guitarist in two bands. I have a couple of off-sets including a Fender Meteora. I really want to love that instrument but I just don't. I bought the GM1 as a hopeful replacement and it's just what I need. As a bass player the body feels a bit small to me but it sounds and plays just how I want. I love the neck. My main guitar is a Guild Surfliner Deluxe and the necks are very similar; so the Grungemaster feels very familiar. I'm loving it. I've had it for less than a week and it's already inspired a new song. The Meteora will be up for sale soon.
Artist Guitars Response
We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review. Thank you for the positive rating!
Grungemaster
By: Scott on 25 April 2025Got the GM in white from Artist guitars and really been loving it. I made a couple of alterations inc heavier strings and a new nut (the original one snapped but Artist were amazeballs with their service and sent a new one within days). The feel is great. The P90's are siiiiiiik through my 70W Randall. It's the second guitar I've had of Artist and are stoked with their customer service.. I'll buy again. Anyway. Loving the Grungemaster
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you for your review! We appreciate your continued support!
Grungemaster
By: Jason Hill on 2 April 2025Artist you have done it again great guitar cant belief the price i paid for it i play it through my Artist valve amp excellent gear for the price i am a professional musician and i play very expensive guitars i say to the other people starting out dont waste time on big naming brand guitars buy artist guitars i have there jazzmaster and gibson style and there fantastic it would be interesting if artist are going to add a tremolo system to the grungemaster guitar such as a bigsby then fender would be worried keep up the good work artist guitars.
Artist Guitars Response
We appreciate the time you have taken to write a review. Thank you.
Amazing value
By: Tom Laios on 15 March 2025I bought my first electric, a "cheap" Strat copy in 1985 for $120. It was pretty crap. This guitar costs less than $300. The quality is unbelievable . The P90s sound great, the finish , action and neck are perfect. Kids these days are spoilt for choice with plenty of amazing affordable instruments. To put my 1985 $120 guitar in comparable modern price, a pack of Winfield Blues were about $3, so 40 packs bought me a guitar. Winfield Blues now cost $50 a packet! ( I quit smoking in 2001 at $7.50 a pack. If you still smoke, you're an idiot). So my cheap strat should be 40 x $50=$2000! More than a genuine Fender Strat. This Grungemaster is a bargain.
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your review! We are always here if you have any questions.
Grungemaster
By: Mick Button on 30 May 2024Once again,an incredibly well presented guitar impeccably finished,once tuned the intonation needed no adjusting,action exactly as I like at 2.25mm low E and 2mm high E.The P90 pickups have great dirty sound The only problem I have is with the volume knob too close to the pickup and I keep hitting the knob and turning the volume down,but that's more to do with my playing than anything to do with the guitar. So if you,like me,have a Kurt Cobain moment,I highly recommend this instrument.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for your review. We really appreciate it.
Grungemaster
By: Andre Thurtell on 12 May 2024I bought the artist grungemaster with p90s. I am seriously impressed. Thought it would need some work but it's perfect straight outta the box. If I didn't know i'd say this was a £500 guitar. In a word AWESOME
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your review! We are always here if you have any questions.
Artist Grungemaster
By: Christopher John Roome on 11 May 2024What can I say except excellent in every way imaginable. Plays and sounds way beyond its price tag, better than more expensive makes and models. And with looks that can stop a charging rhino at 50 paces!! Enough said...get one!!
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your review! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.
value
By: noel on 26 March 2024great guitar. plays straight out of the box. very little adjustments needed. great finish... was hoping for another sale, missed out last time..sigh. but even at full price, it outstrips any competition product by light years...
Artist Guitars Response
We are glad to hear that you are happy with the item. Thank you so much for your review.
GRUNGEMASTER
By: Audie on 21 March 2024I bought the Grungemaster because I thought it'd be a cheap knockabout that I can take to jams. Had no clue how amazing this thing would play! My band actually preferred the tone of the Grungemaster compared to my $2000 Schecter. Would definitely recommend this guitar from Artist. Affordable, great quality and excellent, prompt service. 5 stars.
Artist Guitars Response
We are glad to hear that you are happy with the item. Thank you so much for your review.
Love the Grungemaster
By: John on 6 February 2024I waited a few months so I could post a review devoid of new guitar glow. Phenomenal value for money this Artist Grungemaster - and for me, it's almost the perfect guitar. I prefer its 12" fretboard radius, it's got simple and very ergonomic switch-gear - it's a basswood body that resonates almost as well as my Gibson and Fender - the Wilkinson P90s have got great clarity, a beautiful growl and a bluesy single coil sound on clean. Switch to distortion in bridge and neck position and the pickups can get a bit noisy at my place, but the middle position is such an adaptable and inviting sound it's not that big an issue. The neck and fret work I could not fault out of the box, a slight truss weak improved the already fine action. The Gibson style bridge seems strong and stable, the tuners aren't top-deck but everything seems well made and it holds tune perfectly. And I love the way the whole thing looks - I got the aged white body and the body and pick guard complement the P90s beautifully. Well, the headstock looks a bit dinky but then, so does a Telecaster headstock if we're honest, and the volume/tone knob graphics a bit cheap looking (I put some Tele knobs on and it looks pretty bloody good really). I use the guitar at band practice instead of my Tele Player Plus and it's just as good in the mix (Grungemaster pickups' output is a bit less for live gigs though). I reckon it beats Epiphones and Squiers/ cheaper Fenders as an entry or second guitar, or if you want a good strong foundation guitar for mods etc. I was looking at the “similar” Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH ST – the Grungemaster has better pickups and is more soundly constructed for almost a third of the price. If you like off-set style guitars with easy-play flat necks and good P90s look no further I reckon. I also recommend the excellent gig-bag which holds heaps of extra gear. And, I thought my guitar delivery was running a bit late (it actually wasn’t) and the support I got from the Artist customer service guy was just brilliant. So … yep, I’m impressed, thank you Artist guitars – you might just rule the world if you keep making stuff like this for reasonable money.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for your review. We truly appreciate it.
Thumbs
By: Tristan on 5 February 2024Very happy with this purchased. I wasn't sure what to think before I opened it love it great feel and sound.can't complain for the price as well
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your feedback! We are always here if you have any questions.
I’ve never seen better value
By: Brendan on 11 October 2023After experiencing an artist guitars classical model at the school I moved to (I’m a teacher), I got into some reviews and demo videos for their electrics. I have a few brand name guitars that I would take to and from school, and loved the idea of having my own guitar that I could leave at school. So, when checking out the prices of the artist electrics I could completely justify having one to leave at school! I took a chance on the Grungemaster because I loved the look and don’t own any guitars with P90s. Postage was very quick, and the guitar does not disappoint. Action was pretty good straight out of the box, and gee whiz the neck feels pretty great. Plugged it in and the P90s sound pretty great to my ear, some crisp clean tones and they do well with gritty tones too - worth saying I have no reference point for P90s, but I like what I hear. The construction is so good - in the hands it feels like a guitar worth ten times the price. I cannot understand how artist guitar manage this and keep it in the price range they’re selling them for! The only thing I would tweak to my preference is the action… I had intentions to upgrade hardware and switch pickups / components but after spending a few wells with the guitar I’ve decided that there is no need to do this. Instead I’ll put the upgrade cash into buying another artist guitar… how cool would it be to have a guitar collection at work?! SO COOL, and completely justifiable when these guitars are priced so so affordably. If you’re still reading this review, stop reading and treat yourself to one of these now before Artist guitars realise they could charge double and still be underpriced! Go now!
Artist Guitars Response
We are happy to hear that you like our product. Thank you so much for the support!
Artist Grungemaster
By: George Edwards on 21 August 2023Very Happy. This guitar is as good as ones I have paid two to three times as much for. Fun to play.
Little gem!
By: Shane Betts on 10 May 2023Just got this yesterday. Intonation was dead on. Took me half an hour to set up truss rod, action and pickups and it plays beautifully. Frets are well finished. The whole guitar feels like it should have cost three times as much. Next stop the 335!
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you very much for your great review about the guitar. We truly appreciate it.
Great value, nice pickups
By: Dog on 31 January 2023I do really like this guitar, but mine had two issues out of the box. I didn’t return it as I bought it on sale for $179, and I mostly liked it and wanted to try out some p90s on the cheap. Have had it many months now and enjoy the small comfortable body and the nice sounding pickups. One problem was the pickup height screws didn’t raise the pickups at all. Easy enough fix, remove pick guard and put some doorframe insulation tape (foam tape) under the pickups, which pushes up against the pickups, so you can get the height right. The other issue is with the necks binding. There’s a slight lip between the binding and the necks timber. It’s as if they routed out a millimetre or two too much into the neck, or the binding was too thin… either way there’s a slight lip you can feel as you run your hand up and down the neck. It’s more pronounced on the thick E side than the other, and worst from the 7th to 12th fret. A little sanding would level it out but I don’t want to have to refinish the neck. You mostly don’t notice it too much while paying, and you get used to it after a while. Overall it’s a nice small bodied guitar (much smaller and lighter than a fender jag) and the pickups work well for most styles of music (they get noisy at high gain, as expected from single coils). And I like that the neck isn’t as narrow as other “D” shaped necks I’ve played, and the satin finish on the neck is really nice. The tune-o-matic style bridge on the fender style body honestly felt odd looking at it at first, but now I much prefer this setup to the fender offset bridge design (the jag/jazz master bridge is a pain to set up properly, and sucks compared to the tune-o-matic style). Just need to make sure you get the pickups high enough as the t-o-m bridge puts the stings quite high up off the body compared to a strat or even a jag.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for leaving this feedback. This definitely helps us in improving our products and services.
Great Value Jag Style Guitar
By: Peter on 26 January 2023This is one guitar style that never appealed to me visually (Fender Jag), I'm more into LPs, SGs. However, when these went on sale at $179, I jumped at the chance to try it out and see if I was missing something. My first impression when I got it was "Wow. How can they sell these at only $179"? On further inspection, the white ones have a slight sparkle paint, bound fretboard, block fret markers. Again, Wow. How can they sell these at only $179? I've read a few complaints about sharp frets and while the edges weren't perfect, on this particular one there was no sharp edges. The pickups sound decent for P90s and electronics work fine. The intonated was spot on and was even pretty much in tune as well. The eco-rosewood was a little grainy in spots hence why I took a start off. But not bad at all for $179 guitar.
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for the review. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions, we are always here to help.
Could not rater it higher
By: Nathaniel Sullivan on 18 November 2022I purchased this today and I must say, wow. Not only am I impressed with how good it sounds (clean or dirty) but the price point seems crazy! I had a Jazzmaster previously and honestly, despite it costing 1/10th the cost, I think I prefer the Grungemaster (let's just call it the GM) to the Jazzmaster. Right out of the box not only is it playable, but I didn't have to change the action, file down the frets etc. I would feel 100% confident pulling this out of the box and immediately go on stage after a quick tune. It's quality! FYI. I decided to see if I could get that classic "Nirvana"/Kurt guitar tone. Plugged up my DS1 straight to my VOX AC30 with a shade of reverb. First power cord.. spot on. If all Artist guitars are like the GM, I will be going back to buy some more guitars in the coming months. Also just want to acknowledge the great customer service too. Booked in to see the show room. Everyone greeted me with a smile and hello. The guy new his stuff. Told me what was coming up in the next few months, went through warranty, returns and shared a bit of info on the company. Purchase & Experince 10/10. Will recommend
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for the detailed review. We truly appreciate it. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact us. Cheers!
An absolute steal
By: Biugi on 10 November 2022After enjoying the hell out of the LP59TSB DELUXE, I was looking for some different options in terms of tone. Having ascertained via multiple purchases that Artist guitars are always good value, I eyed the Grungemaster as the P-90s seemed to offer something a bit more up my alley than single coils... I was lucky enough to get one of these during the Monster Sale, which meant I only paid $180, but trust me, you'll be happy with it at full price. It played beautifully out of the box, despite some minor string buzz (nothing a bit of fiddling with the bridge couldn't fix). Intonation was good, the neck feels silky, and the pickups are just beautiful. Rich tone, jangle, twang, body, sustain... Plus it's light as a feather, and perfect for swinging around like a proper rock god. And the looks of it! Absolutely breathtaking little thing, between the finish, the scratch plate, the bound neck... It has quickly become my new favourite guitar to play.
Artist Guitars Response
We are glad that this guitar has lived up to your expectations. We truly appreciate the review.
Go for the grungemaster
By: Paul on 28 August 2022Ok so I ummed and ahhhed about picking up this guitar but I got one from the bargain bin and it’s really good believe the reviews.If you are deciding hop off the fence it is a good guitar for the price.I have a few Artist guitars in my collection. Thanks Artist guitars it’s another winner
Artist Guitars Response
Glad to hear that you are happy with the guitar. We truly appreciate the review of your recent order. Thank you.
She loves it
By: steve on 29 July 2022best birthday present ever for the wife its slightly on the heavy side but she dosent care she is jamin it Thanks Artist for quick send and excellent product
Artist Guitars Response
It is our pleasure and thank you so much for leaving us this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
Fantastic guitar, and not just for the price!
By: Pat O. on 28 July 2022As someone who is both a fan of offset guitar styles I had to give the Grungemaster a go. I can't believe at what an amazing guitar it is, it keeps up with my other 'more expensive' offsets with no issues! Hardware was all top notch, including a decent TOM-style bridge and tailpiece. The P90s kept up well both at home and in live settings. Would highly recommend!
Artist Guitars Response
We are happy to hear that the Grungemaster works great for you. Thank you for taking the time in writing a review for it.
Brilliant pickups
By: Ian on 9 July 2022I was going to put P90 pickups in a project guitar I have when I saw this one on special. So I bought one for about the same price as a pair of decent P90s. The guitar arrived in good order and very quickly, very good for delivery to a small country town in northern NSW. The guitar is excellent quality for the price. This is my second Artist guitar, and I am very happy with the first one too. The finish is spot on, the neck is straight and the action was okay out of the box. I lowered the bridge a bit but a couple of frets are buzzing, so it needs some proper fret work which I am not qualified to do. My luthier will have to sort that out for me. A couple of small niggles. The strings it came with were pretty ordinary, I replaced them on the first day with a set of Elixir 10-46s, which was quite an improvement. The tuners are nothing to write home about either. I've ordered a new set of locking tuners for it that should arrive soon. The tuneomatic style bridge and tailpiece seem to be reasonable quality and look okay, so they will be staying. I also have a problem with the tone control, which does almost nothing. On 1 and 2 it goes very bassy, then it goes bright on 3, but there is virtually no change between 3 and 10. Advice from Artist is to replace the tone pot with a linear 500k. I don't know if I'm the only one who's experienced this, so maybe the tone pot in my example was an error in manufacture? Anyway, a cheap and fairly easy fix if you know your way around a soldering iron. I have't done it yet so I can't report on whether or not this will solve the problem. There is only one volume control, so you can't change the mix between the two pickups. On the downside this must limit the tonal variations that may otherwise be available. On the upside, it simplifies things considerably if you only have to concern yourself with how loud you are playing. Similarly, there is only one tone control, which again is going to limit tonal variation, but does simplify use. You can always vary tonal quality further down the chain with effects pedals and maybe the amp, which is arguably the preferable way to do it. I have no problem with the single volume and tone controls, so for me it's good. But the stars of the show, by a country mile, are those P90 pickups. Through my Joyo valve amp (also from Artist) the tones they produce are sparkling clean and crystal clear. The bridge pickup produces a kind of country twang, the neck pickup produces more rounded tones that still maintain that amazing clarity. Together there is richness and clarity that sounds like no other guitar. An absolute joy and delight to play and hear. If you are looking for that P90 sound, look no further. This guitar has it in spades. Buy one. You won't regret it.
Artist Guitars Response
Wow, thank you so much for the awesome review! We are so glad to hear you love the Grungemaster. We really appreciate your support. Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions or concerns, we're always happy to help!
Artist Grungemaster - Electric Guitar with P90 Typ
By: Alan Payton on 9 July 2022A really great Guitar, at a really great price, just like most of the products at "Artist Guitars", and the very fast processing and delivery times, are unsurpassed by anything I have ever purchased online. "Well Done Guys. :-)
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your feedback! We are glad to know you love the guitar. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us, we're always happy to help!
Grungemaster
By: Stephen Todkill on 8 July 2022This is my second Artist guitar and won't be my last. This is an excellent guitar at a great price. You guys do an amazing job, keep up the great work, thank you
Artist Guitars Response
No worries and am stoked to hear that you like our Grungemaster. We really appreciate the support!
Awesome value for money
By: Chris on 8 July 2022Wow! I bought this guitar primarily to add a good looking white guitar to my collection and for the price it was I couldn't say no. But I really wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is. Sure it's not a Gibson or a Les Paul but it also doesn't have the crazy price tag either. The finish is exceptional, it definetly looks great on the wall but it also plays well. It has a great action & feel, the pickups actually sound really good and it didn't need much setup at all to sound right. I did change the strings straight away to my preferred brand & gauge but I do that on everything. If you are wanting a high end guitar then pay for one, if you are wanting an awesome budget guitar, that gives you way more than the price suggests then this is perfect.
Artist Guitars Response
We really appreciate the support and thank you for giving us this feedback!
Smooth as silk, with a killer bite !
By: Alan on 8 July 2022Absolutely LOVE my new Grungemaster. So smooth and easy to play (after a couple of turns of the bridge saddle screws to lower the out of the box action to be fair) and the smoothness of the action worked perfectly with the fantastic sound I can get from all combinations of the pickup selector positions and tone+volume controls - from super mellow to truly "bitey". this is my 4th Artist guitar acquisition since the start of the pandemic and all of them are simply exquisite, and such amazing value foe money!! thanks Artist guitars for showing that I don't need to spend a fortune to get amazing quality in both acoustic and electric guitars !!
Artist Guitars Response
No worries and thank you so much for letting us know. We are glad that you are happy with the Grungemaster. We really appreciate the support!
Great guitar
By: Andrew Nash on 7 July 2022I recently purchased the grungmaster guitar. This is a brilliant guitar when you think how much it cost. The build quality is great. Just had to make some minor adjustments to suit me. Very impressed. The delivery was very fast, l had the guitar in 2 days. Keep up the good work guys.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for the feedback. We really appreciate the support and we will keep on improving!
Not just for Grunge
By: Andrew Sinclair on 7 July 2022I wanted a light, offset body with P-90s to complement the tones and playabilty of my other guitars. This is my 6th Artist guitar. They are all great value for money and a real no-brainer. The Grungemaster is quite small and therefore lighter than other guitars. I play mainly seated and I am not a smaller person but I sill appreciate the manageable ergonomics of the guitar. Smaller people might prefer this over something as large as a 335 or as heavy as my TC-59. The P90s have certainly not let me down. The output is quite high compared to my Fender style single-coils and they push the amp a lot harder. There's a certain edge that makes up for the loss of 'chime' from the single coil and there's more ability to cut through the mix than some humbuckers. It sounds great with a little fuzz or overdrive. Or with a lot! The neck is chunkier than a modern Strat but not as much as a Tele or 335. Like all my Artist guitars so far, they arrived pretty well set up for most players. The lack of a trem system makes tuning fairly stable and palm muting easier. No fret sprout, lovely finish, decent hardware - what more could you want?
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for leaving this feedback! we really appreciate your support!
Artist Grungemaster
By: Luke Gorlick on 7 July 2022Wow. What a guitar. Great ranging tones and a quality build. It’s very easy to play and the P-90’s sound so sweet.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
Wow what a great guitar
By: Matty on 7 July 2022Absolute bargain. Im so impressed with this axe, it came with no fret buzz, good string height. With a bit of a stretch the strings stay in tune well. I would buy another no worries.
Artist Guitars Response
I am stoked to hear that you like the Grungemaster. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us feedback!
GRUNGEMASTER OF PUPPETS
By: Jarrod on 7 July 2022So much guitar for the price. I had my eyes on one for so long, being already a jazzmaster body fan it was an easy decision, plus my first guitar with P90 "style pickups". This guitar is such an awesome guitar and the price value is in a league of its own. This does play nicer and feels more comfortable than some higher end JM shaped guitars that I've played. Only thing I had to do was lower the action a tad to my preference and later string gauge to what I usually play. 11/10, I cannot fault this guitar, enjoy playing it so much, it has entered to my more regular rotation of guitars. 1000% would also buy a baritone version *wink wink*
Artist Guitars Response
We are glad to hear that you are happy with our product. Thank you for sharing this feedback with us and for the support! With a baritone version, I still cannot say right now but we are open to adding some more variants in the future. Love the title but I am not sure if Metallica will agree. :)
Grungemaster P90 enjoyment
By: Neil on 7 July 2022The Grungemaster arrived packed so carefully that some more famous brands could do well to emulate. The finish looks flawless and the metallic sparkle in the white paint on the body looks very classy. A quick check over showed it needed a little adjustment to the string height to suit my preference, a small change to the neck relief, again to suit my preference and an adjustment to the intonation to ensure that it plays in tune everywhere on the neck. Once plugged in to my Deluxe Reverb the power of the P90s became very apparent. This is a very loud guitar. It has a nice balance between the pickups and a sweet tone without any spikiness on the bridge pickup and a nicely rounded but clear tone to the neck pickup. The fret ends are a little sharp but that doesn't detract from the playability. I will be rounding the fret ends as I have done with all my guitars . For the price this Grungemaster is a great instrument and clearly shows you don't have to pay a high price to get a really nice instrument any more.
Artist Guitars Response
We are glad to hear that you are happy with our product. Thank you for sharing this feedback with us and for the support!
Amazing guitar
By: Toby on 7 July 2022Superb value for money! I ordered in the morning, it was packed by 11, on its way by 3, and at my house by 11 the next day in pristine condition. Just needed a little setup, as any guitar should, and away I went!
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
Grungemaster is a sweet beast!
By: Chris on 7 July 2022After tweaking the action and intonation, this slinky necked beauty really sang. Finish and build are excellent and it stays in tune. Pickups sound great clean or crunchy and I love the bottom end responsiveness on the bass strings. This is another great Artist guitar at an incredible price. Well done guys!
Artist Guitars Response
We really appreciate it for taking the time to leave feedback and are glad to know that you are satisfied with our product!
Insane value
By: Patrick on 7 July 2022I want to play this budget guitar more than some of the "premium" ones I own.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
Grungemaster - says it all (and that's a good thin
By: Steve on 25 June 2022I bought this guitar with the intention of travelling with it - something inexpensive and capable. What I didn't realise is that this guitar is so good it easily competes with guitars more than twice its price. All-in-all, a great guitar, well built and plays great. It certainly defies the convention that inexpensive guitars feel and play cheap - this one doesn't. The finish of the guitar is fantastic. I highly recommend the Grungemaster if you are learning, wanting a guitar to travel with, or a guitar you can customise without worrying about its cost. Or just play it as it is - its that good.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you for the review! We are glad to know you love this guitar. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us, we're always happy to help!
Grungemaster
By: Ken on 15 June 2022There are a lot of reviews of the Grungemaster on this page, most of them are positive - this is another one. Lots of good stuff here. The finish is so gorgeous I can't take my eyes off it, truly a very beautiful object and probably even more so under stage lighting. The hardware looks great and works well, the P90s sound amazing and make me so glad this is now in my collection. Looks fantastic. Sounds stunning. Unbelievable price (again). Thanks AG!
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for your awesome review about the Grungemaster! It really helps a lot of customers who are looking to buy this too. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us, we're always happy to help!
Best Bang for Buck Offset Guitar
By: Grant Turner on 8 June 2022I was look for an offset guitar to add to my guitar collection. I was looking at a Squier Jazzmaster (perhaps a classicvibe) but I decided to grab this instead. Reason being I prefer a hardtail bridge for better tuning stability since I probably wasn't going to use the tremolo system. Plus I really wanted to try out what an Australian supplier can bring to the "affordable" table (vs Harley Bentons, Firefly, Squiers, Yamaha, ibanez, etc) I'm really glad did. This plays really well and certainly punches above it's weight. Also price!! ************* I have been playing for roughly 25 years plus, own multiple guitars in my collection, teach music as my career (primary school setting), play in live bands so I hope to bring a more experienced player review to this guitar. I know it sounds cliche' but we certainly live in the golden age of guitars. In terms of "budget" guitars today they play remarkably well, much better when I started playing in the 90's. So if you're "experienced player" why did I buy this? Well I like to keep my eye out on beginner guitars to play on. To help advising parents to find good deals for my school students. Also my school music budget only stretches so far so I need instruments that play well but can keep up with 5-12 years that would absolute smash and play the frick-outta this thing. ************ Features****** If you like a nice medium to chunky neck , you're in luck. I think this sits in between a Les Paul and a Modern C style neck. The tune-o-matic bridge was intonated well out of the box however I did lower the action slightly for lower and gave a minor tweak on the trust rod. Does it play well straight out of the box for beginners? Sure but I'm a stickler for setting up my guitars. The tuners are sufficient providing you know how to "lock" off the tuning pegs efficiently, rather than simply than winding them around five times. Could you change for locking tuners? Yep ! But I'm finding them fine for what I'm using the guitar for. The nut is cut okay (I did use the old graphite pencil trick/nut lube to add some extra smoothness though) but you could change it for a 42mm bone/graphtech style nut if your looking to upgrade something - I would certainly start here if you're buying this for a mod project. Be prepared to really fight a glued in nut, - it took a bit of work. Pots and pickup switches feel strong and solid too. I modify lots of Partcasters so generally can feel how cheap they are. They seem quite solid and not the $2 dime pot often seen in budget guitars.**************** The nice surprises************ -The metallic/flake gloss - very classy and hard to see in the stock phots. But looks great in the flesh -The cream bounding around the guitar. This is unheard of for a guitar in the sub $300 Aud range -The p90 pickups - Wow certainly the star of the show, I was prepared to swap these out but they simply sing. I nice balance between a single and a humbucker.*********** Improvements************ The guitar certainly can a fret polish. I also rolled over the fret edges so it has a more played-in feel. But I'm not stressed about this since this is labour intensive and would add extra man hours (and cost to the guitar itself) - Would a beginner notice this - Not at all. No fret sprout and smooth edges As mentioned previously perhaps look at buying a graphtech style or bone nut. Or add graphite/nut lube.************ Sounds************* This guitar can cover Grunge (of course look of it certainly ticks the Dinosaur Jr box/Nirvana) Rock (Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters) Funk/Rock (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and Blues/Fuzz (Jimi Hendrix, Gary Moore) Punk (Dead Kennedys, The Clash, NOFX, Bad Religion) and it can certainly can hang with my "Primo" Gretsch, Fender and Gibson., providing you slightly eq and sculpt your tone for the p90's. ******** Questions I had Prior To Purchasing************ Is this one of the best value guitar for beginner and even seasoned players? Hell yeah. Would I recommend this is my students? Absolutely How do they compare against big budget brands? Its the law of diminishing returns, you get what you pay for. But you get alot of guitar for the money. Would I recommend Artist Guitar's and can they go toe-to-toe with other Low Cost/High Value guitars like The Euro Big Boys like Thomman? Let's just say I've ordered 2 more Artist Guitars in the space of 1 week.************** Living in Australia it's nice that a national supplier can certainly provide people good beginner guitars without breaking the bank. Cheers
Artist Guitars Response
Hi there, thank you so much for the very thorough review on the guitar. We are stoked to know you love the Artist Grungemaster. If you need any assistance, please feel free to reach out, we're always happy to help!
Surprisingly Good
By: Roger on 26 January 2022I bought the Grungemaster as I wanted the tone of a P90 guitar. I was not expecting it to be great - just usable to achieve a sound I did not have in my small collection consisting of a Telecaster, G&L Legacy, and Gibson Les Paul. Straight out of the box with a tune-up I was recording the score to a television series with my only criticism being the frets needed a polish as they feel gritty when bending the strings. The machine heads feel a bit stiff and therefore a little cheap but are good enough as they do what they are supposed to and keep it in tune without any slippage. Intonation was near perfect and the guitar itself is flawless in all other regards. Sounds and plays very well indeed. A lovely paint job tops it all off. Kudos to Artist for bringing this kind of quality to such a modest price point.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
Grungemaster
By: Jim Pike on 22 December 2021I've bought many guitars and accessories from Artist since they first opened. All of them have been not only exceptional for the price but most have been just straight up exceptional. The Grungemaster is my first electric from them and I'd put it up against any Fender I've ever owned (and I've owned a few). The quality is incredible and the guitar played brilliantly straight out of the box, no setup needed. I'm yet to be disappointed in anything from Artist. Cheers.
Artist Guitars Response
It is our pleasure and thank you so much for leaving us this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
a $200 guitar
By: Henry on 14 December 2021Feels cheap. Has probably done that thing where they sold the earlier versions with better tuners to the youtube demo-ers and then the garbage to the rest of us. Case in point is at the time of this review, there already is a customer returned one and one with "cosmetic damage" for sale. Fretboard is made of ECO rosewood - which is realistically toy guitar material. Burg's demo didn't talk about the fretboard material but I'm sure it wasn't eco rosewood with the photos. He says the tuners are good, I definitely can see a difference in the tuning pegs used on my one compared to his. Body's fine. Electronics are fine. Tuners are absolute terrible. Eco rosewood neck feels like a toy. All in all, you get a $200 guitar for $260. Disappointing @ Artist guitars - especially with your warehouse being wherever it is now, it's more difficult to go and try these things.
Artist Guitars Response
I am so sorry to hear about your experience with the Grungemaster and thank you for letting us know of this so we can further improve our products and services. We do have our 100-day free return policy that covers our customers if they are not happy with their purchase. I have sent you an email and please let me know how we can help.
Out of the Box.
By: Paul on 10 December 2021You here the old saying all the time (plays great straight from the Box).But after playing in a band and doing a lot of guitar tech work for the last 20 years .This one truly is ,it is fantastic straight from the Box .I couldn't be more satisfied Artist you have done it again.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback. We really appreciate the support!
Where were you when I was 17?
By: Shane Nottheinthebluesone on 10 November 2021I don't know how you guys do it but please keep doing it!! I bought this on a whim because I really wanted a thinline but they were out of stock (come on December!!). This is the second Artist guitar I've bought, the first being a Cherry 58 a few years ago which I was also blown away with and I have a friend with a real 335 and I swear there wasn't $4k difference in them to play. But back to the Grungemaster. Aside from a couple of tiny issues with a machine head ferule that had popped out a bit and a screw in another machine head not being screwed down properly (both issues fixed in 5 minutes with a screwdriver and my thumb) it was amazing. I'm just blown away that you can get such a great instrument for so little money. Where were you guys when I was 17 and paying the same money for a hunk of crap that sounded just as bad as it looked and felt? I still have that hunk of crap 30 years later so I restrung it and played it just to make sure. No contest. Roasted maple neck. P90 style pick ups. Light. No scratchy pots. Nice solid pick up selector switch. No sharp frets. I don't know what else to say. It was pretty good out of the box but after a basic setup (string change, fret polish, action and intonation) it's just as good as some of the mid-range guitars I have. This thing will give any Squier and even some Mexican Fenders a run for their money at a fraction of the price. This is the easiest 5 stars I've ever given anything. I took the time to write this review just in case you're here wondering if you pull the trigger on one of these you're going to be shelling out $260 for a good looking lemon. I know I'm just a random guy on the internet but trust me, you won't regret it. Just do it. Now where's my thinline Artist!!!
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback. We really appreciate the support! :)
Insane value
By: Nate M on 5 November 2021Came with a cracked neck pocket, but cosmetic only. Customer service was beyond incredible, they responded to my email in 7 minutes. I am seriously blown away, the customer service is impeccable. They offered either a return or a discount (as a %). I opted for the discount as it appeared to be cosmetic only. I'm glad I did, it's a fantastic instrument. Intonation and action were near perfect, the pickup poles required raising, but otherwise great setup. The feel and quality of this instrument puts my Ibanez worth 3x the price to shame. The sound is near as good as well. Outstanding stuff!
Artist Guitars Response
I'm glad you are happy with the way we resolved the issues here. Hopefully, you can continue to enjoy the guitar for a long time.
It purrs and growls
By: todd cuthbertson on 28 October 2021I got this as I missed my Gibson p90 Les Paul. The p90 is a beauty and beast of a pickup style and I regretted getting rid of it from my collection. One thing I DO NOT regret ! It made me get a Grungemaster!!! This thing rocks and is super comfortable, well balanced feel, simple tone / volume knob configuration and you can get that sweet spot and variation with the three way pickup selector. The bridge pickup for me really cuts through the mix. Neck feels amazing and my one had a nice low action out of the box with no annoying buzzes or sharp fret edges. I’ve tried other p90 guitars and I was not overly impressed with the standing noise and body shape was boring. But this offset body with vintage style tuners is the goods. The tuners feel solid and have been reliable. So happy with this purchase ! Thanks Artist
Artist Guitars Response
Hi there! We are very pleased to know that you love the guitar. We always get good feedback on those P90s as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this great review. It is really helpful to other customers.
Exceptional
By: Anonymous on 23 September 2021Near perfect. Ever so slight fret sprout, that’s it. Good setup. Straight neck. Brilliant pickups. Surprisingly it’s not just white, it’s a metallic white. Can’t praise it enough. The manufacturer takes great pride in it’s work I feel.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. We really appreciate the support!
Grungemaster
By: Con Comino on 14 September 2021This is my second guitar from Artist Guitars. I was not disappointed. Great quality guitar.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback! We really appreciate your support!
First electric guitar!
By: Breanna on 14 September 2021I was an acoustic lover for years, but I recently got into Electric. This was my FIRST EVER electric guitar and I was blown away. It sounds beautiful and I was able to play a few different styles on it. It has a contoured body which makes it so much more comfortable to hold. The quality of this guitar is insane considering the price and it looks beautiful
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback! We really appreciate your support!
Not just the Master of Grunge
By: Anonymous on 3 August 2021I just don’t know what to say about this guitar, it’s bloody incredible. Currently this is my 6th (3rd Artist) guitar but since I bought the Grungemaster I hardly pick the others up. This guitar can do anything, from subtle, twangy or tuneful sounds, right up to full rollicking rock! I’m not any kind of expert on such things but these P-90 pick ups can also make you feel like some rock God! Then you have the looks of this machine. I was very wary of getting a white guitar but even just opening the box it’s beautiful and carries the colour great. The weights great, parts great, holds tune all day long, then you have them soap bar P-90s, wow! I’ve never had an “offset” guitar before but I know they can be neck heavy, well writing this review is the first this subject has come up for me and this guitar because if it exists it must be small. This is just beautiful all round and a huge surprise how good it is. As well as all the above the main thing is this guitar is great fun! You can play it soft and subtle or really go to town on it with no adverse effects. I honestly cannot recommend this enough, it’s suitable for everyone from my granny to mad uncle Alf to my indie niece Lou. Oh yeah, me as well, I love it!
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for your rocking review! We're happy to know that the Grungemaster continues to blow you way. Cheers!
Excellent Value for Money!
By: Stuart S on 14 July 2021I received this guitar as a birthday present about a month ago, haven't put it down since. This is my third Artist guitar and i can say with confidence that like my LP59 and 335 it does not disappoint. Light weight, simple controls and great P90 like pickups for them alt rock grungey tones. The fret board and frets are nicely done for a guitar in this price range and the finish is comparable to the more expensive Squire options. This also has a satiny finish to the neck which i really like too. QC is great across all 3 of my guitars and I'm very pleased with my Artist Guitars collection. Highly recommended for those looking for a good low cost option from an Aussie owned company. Thankyou
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for all the support and for this awesome review. Cheers!
Couldn't recommend it more
By: Anonymous on 6 July 2021From the goodie back of beautiful picks and right angled lead, this guitar is a rare gem. I am honestly happy with the way its advertised, the way its shipped and the way it sounds. Not one issue has arisen the 2 weeks so far I've owned this masterpiece Many thanks, and I will 100% buy from you guys again
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for the awesome review Oscar. We're happy to know that you're satisfied with your new Grungemaster. Thanks for all the support. Cheers.
Grungemaster value!
By: Brad Shepherd on 23 June 2021Great guitar! - beautiful white sparkle finish and I can't fault the detail. P90 pick-ups have a sound- exactly as you would expect high end P90 pup guitars to have. Amazing guitar and even more amazing due to the price!
Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for taking the time to write this review. We appreciate it very much and we're happy to know that you're rocking out with your Grungemaster. Cheers!
Good value for the price
By: Graeme on 14 June 2021Overall nice guitar, the finish and fretboard are great. After a quick set-up to the action height and truss rod it played a lot better. The fret ends are a bit rough so I'll be rounding and polishing them soon. Biggest flaw is the bridge pickup height screws don't function properly but the neck pickup screws do.
Artist Guitars Response
I'm sorry to hear about the issues you're having with the Grungemaster as these don't normally happen. Please respond to the email we sent you so we can further assist you on this. We always want to make sure our customers are happy with their orders. Cheers!
Amazing
By: Geoff on 8 May 2021I seen the review on in the Blues for this guitar and it sounded awesome, Shane gave it a great review. A lot of reviewers have great amps which can make any guitar sound great, so always a bit weary on reviews. I happen to have nice amps and a few really expensive guitars., but none of them were P90s. So instead of paying thousands for a gibson to see if I liked them, I thought I would get this one. I will start with the negatives. The action was high when I received it. I adjusted that as I do with all my guitars when I buy them. And that's it. No more negatives. Positives; Frets were done well and yes, I polished them and also changed strings when I received it, but again, I do that with every guitar when I buy it no matter the price. Once I did all this....my god, what a great guitar for the money. Pickups sound great. Thought I might have to upgrade to better P90's but no. They are awesome. Neck carve is nice, a thin neck and the satin finish is brilliant. I might upgrade the pots one day as I can imagine they won't last as long as top shelf one's, but at the moment, no...... There is no need to. They work fine and again, everything sounds great. Nut is slotted perfectly but a little bit oversized. As in it is a bit wider than the neck, but slots are perfectly placed. I don't like having a plate under the neck plate as a rule, but understand, as poplar is a soft wood and indents easy. Binding looks cheap but works fantastic. Great paint job. You don't see it in the pictures, but it has a sparkle paint job done on it. Comfort carve for the belly is perfect and the body is light and finished perfectly. In the end a fantastic guitar. Not just for the price but in general. I own gibson, fender, maton and Ibanez guitars that are worth thousands, and this guitar almost makes me think, are they worth it. Looking at the Artist LP style guitars now as what's to loose. If it's not as great as this, I didn't fork out that much money. But if the quality is anything like this, I will be happy. To finish off, I have had this guitar for 2 years. So not an initial review, a review of using it for that long. Keep up the good work Artist Guitars, you are killing it. Have bought many products from Artist Guitars and services and products have always been great. Also bought your 5 string pj bass. Awesome.
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us Geoff! We really appreciate your support.
Sounds nice, but QC was not great
By: Anonymous on 23 April 2021Bought this on a whim, fast delivery overnight to Melbourne. Guitar sounds great, brought a whole new sound dynamic to my playing. I little noisy when under heavy gain (normal), but the P90's in this actually sound really nice, especially clean or with a little gain. Also, it stayed in tune well. The main issue for me was there were a number of sharpish fret ends and a fair gap between the neck joint and the body just above the low E string. It's a cheap guitar and you get what you pay for I guess, however I didn't want to be paying more money to fix issues on a cheap guitar. Artist guitars were very good and quick to sort out a return and refund. I've now just purchased the Deluxe LP guitar instead which i look forward to receiving. Fingers crossed but I have a lot of faith in Artist guitars if there's an issue.
Artist Guitars Response
We are sorry you experienced the flaws but we're happy to be able to sort it out for you quickly. Don't hesitate to reach out if there is anything else we can do for you. Cheers.
Artist Grunge master
By: andrew wilson on 15 April 2021This is my third Artist guitar and I have to say I love them all, I wish I knew about them years ago coz then I wouldn't have wasted so much coin on Squiers and the like...but anyway that's enough about me the Artist Grunge master is a great guitar and I could not happier with it. Put simply it sounds brilliant (even with me playing it) it looks amazing (I have a thing for white guitars) is nice and lightweight and feels great. In my eyes I think it is the best value for money guitar available. If you are thinking of getting one of these stop thinking and get one. The pictures on the website don't do it justice. Just so you know my brothers wifes third cousin by marriage does not work for Artist guitars and that this is an unpaid endorsement.......
Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much and we appreciate this awesome review. Thank you for the support and rock on!
Fantastic, individual instrument
By: Anonymous on 29 January 2021My first painted guitar, first offset body guitar and first one with P90 style pickups ! Great on all of those accounts; looks amazing, comfortable to play and sounds great. I've discovered that I like 'Fender scale' so the scale length on this suits me well. Not a true copy of any particular instrument but does what Artist does best - create a unique guitars in an affordable way. the pickups do a clean chiming sounds very well, and breakup nicely when the amp is overdriven. I've been getting a lot of Velvet Underground sounds quite easily with a Hiwatt amp, and also playing blues and country riffs . A tremelo arm would be an amazing addition. Neck is a nice thickness for me ( I don't like too skinny) and the headstock is a cool shape that for me evokes the Teisco styles from the 60s and 70s. Thanks for making this guitar.
Fantastic
By: Gyula Janauschek on 7 September 2020I just bought an Artist Grungemaster nice little guitar very comfortable to play and sounds pretty good too. Price is super cheep you would pay lot more for same quality guitars. Im happy to recommend it to anyone. Thank you to Molly and Artist Crew for professional customer service! You are highly recommended!
Surf's up
By: Anonymous on 27 July 2020This is a pretty good approximation of a Jazzmaster, complete with single coil hum (if you get too close to the amp or the flouro lights) Looks as good as it plays, and sounds as good as it looks. I modded mine with a B5 style tremolo and it really tops it off nicely. Handles all the subtle Hank Marvin style guitar licks with ease. The P90 style pups are solid sounding (not at all microphonic) even at high gain, although I guess it's not really designed for it. No unwanted feedback or squealing sounds. The bound neck makes for easy neck transitions, and it's easy to achieve a nice low action if you like a fast fretboard. All up I am quite happy with this one, I would definitely recommend it.
Big fan of it
By: Ben Knight on 24 July 2020I'm gonna be real — I'm not an accomplished guitar player. I am not knowledgable about guitars at all. What makes one good or bad? I dunno. All I know is, I want one that feels good to play and sounds good for recording and jamming. I found that, and then some with the Grungemaster. It is a well-built piece that is a joy to play. The factory strings are pretty nice, there's no buzz, and overall it has a wonderfully dynamic tone that is perfect for the style of music I like to play. I am extremley happy with this, not just as a value guitar, but as a guitar in its own right.
Good Bones
By: Anonymous on 27 June 2020Mine came from the bargain bin. It was returned with a 'faulty switch', which turned out to be a shorted pickup due to an overheated solder joint. It was easily fixed, but it shows quality control failures can happen. Most reviews are saying they play fine, so I guess I was unlucky because the buzz on mine couldn't be adjusted out. So I got to try my hand at fret levelling, which was kinda fun and made a big difference. One curious issue was the bridge pickup didn't align well with the strings. I moved it, which required a little filing on the pickguard. I can't say if it made a difference to the sound, but it looks better. I think I can see this in pictures online too, so I guess they're all like that. Bit of a clanger that, Artist (Harley Benton). Because it was heavily discounted, and because I'm a fiddler, I was happy enough to deal with these issues. But if I'd paid list price I might have been less happy. Now that it's sorted, I love it. This is my first guitar with P90s and I don't want to play my humbucker guitar anymore. Pros: Finish. Pickups. Tuning stability. Price. Cons: Fret buzz. Neck dive. Pickup misalignment. Patchy QC (side markers rough, bubbled chrome on one tuner, bad solder joint). No colour options. Conclusion: Looks and sounds great. Perfect for learning about guitar setup or a modding platform.
Wow, so happy with it
By: Peter on 29 May 2020Just received delivery and loving it. Bit of fret buzz that I’ll adjust out once the guitar settles down but nothing to be concerned about. The sound of the pick ups are very punky. Absolute quality
Artist Grungemaster
By: Anonymous on 11 May 2020Beautifully made and playing guitar, punches well above its price point in all areas. Does require a basic setup and better quality strings but thats it. The P90's shine here in all three positions, slightly noisy when overdriven but the trade off is a wonderful bluesy tone and classic rock crunch. Cleans up very well too for a rich, warm tone. in summing up a well built, nicely presented and very good quality guitar to own and play. Thanks for the fast turnover too guys, extremely happy with the purchase.
Grungemaster guitar
By: Griffo on 18 April 2020I had been thinking about getting this guitar for a while, and then I saw Brett Kingsman’s review on YouTube. He was very impressed with the quality as well as the sounds, and I thought that is good enough for me. I ordered it on Easter Monday afternoon and it was delivered Wednesday morning at 7.40am. Unboxing, I was very impressed with the overall quality and all that was needed was to tune it with my Korg GA50. What a great player, great sustain, great sounding pickups and a nice satin finished neck. I’ve got a lot of great guitars and this is an amazing addition to my collection and for $249 it’s a steal...do yourself a favour!
Looks good, sounds good, plays great
By: Matt on 26 February 2020This is my 3rd guitar from Artist Guitars and it doesnt disappoint. Really good buiild quality, the neck is a good shape and its very comfortable to play. Pickups are good and I especially like the neck pick up. Holds tuning really well straight out of the box. I'll lower the action slightly and then gig with it. Top service and delivered in 2 days. Well done Artist Guitars.
Grunge master
By: Nick Mackey on 13 December 2019Returned guitar same day as receiving,due to fret buzz. Received refund with in one week .
Great value, great quality!
By: Phillip Rowe on 12 December 2019This is my 4th guitar from this company, and I can tell you straight up, this guitar is unbelievable value for the low cost! The only thing I've done to it so far is tuned it up! It plays really well, it's got good tones without any effects, which is always a good sign. So well made, and I'm critical about everything! Good cormfortable weight, no imperfections on the body or neck! Plays well all the way up the neck, excellent action (and I haven't even done a setup yet!) I have assorted guitars, and this one, regardless of price, is just as pleasing to play as any of them! I personally would recommend this guitar for a beginner to get into the game, and I'm no beginner and I'm in the game, and I'm equally pleased with it as any that I own! I wish that Artist Guitars were around when I first started! Today's kids have got it made! Thanks AG!
Grunge master Guitar
By: Kathy Colson on 12 December 2019I bought this for my grandson's 15 th birthday and he absolutely loves it. It's great quality and was delivered fast. Would highly recommend
All the postive reviews are true
By: Nick on 11 December 2019It's unbelievably good for the price. Pickups are really loud with minimal noise. Looks great too, though I will be changing the pickguard out for something prettier.
Wow!!
By: Chris on 30 November 2019I bought this guitar as a cheap option to satisfy my needs for an offset. I never expected it to be so good! Frets, fit and finish are of a quality that I haven’t found on guitars 4 or 5 times the price. Straight out of the box it plays like a dream. Pickups sound fantastic and for the first time with a new guitar, i don’t feel the need to change them.
Best Buy!
By: Paul Andrews on 21 November 2019A surprisingly versatile and fun guitar. Workmanship is excellent. Sounds great and looks great. Came ready to play straight from the box. Looks and feels much more expensive than it was. Very happy with the guitar and the service.
Great for the price
By: Michael on 12 July 2019I returned the first one sent out as it had some pretty rough fret edges and a little nick here and there (a "lemon" as they called it). The second one was great, esp. for the price. Everything on the body is great, the pickups are decent, the bridge is good. You will replace the strap buttons, though. The neck feels a little "cheapy" but it's done pretty well considering price. I filed the nut a bit and the tuners are average but they work ok and it stays in tune. The replacement one they sent had some "set up" problems. Just needed a bit more relief before lowering the action, etc. First one was fine. All in all worth the money for sure.
Second time success
By: Greg on 2 March 2019After seeing some great reviews for the ‘Grunge master’ guitar. I decided to give one a try. I’ve always loved the look of these and didn’t have one. Delivery was made in a timely fashion (to Hobart can at time take a while). Sadly the guitar I received had a few too many issues that I wasn’t comfortable with. I jumped onto the site and had a return label emailed to me within 10 minutes. An easy process to return the guitar and a replacement was sent out promptly to boot. After an hour of tinkering ( you can’t expect a $249 guitar to be perfect), I had a cool looking instrument and have been playing it all week. While the process did have a setback, communication to and from Artist guitars was simple and timely. Thanks guys,I am having lots of fun with my new guitar.
Artist Grungemaster
By: David on 8 February 2019Probably the best $250 guitar you will find and I've played heaps over 30 years of playing. Was really happy with the setup and delivery was fast too.
JM Artist
By: Craig on 30 November 2018Bought this dirt cheap guitar that plays and feels AMAZING!!! These are my first P90s and HOLEEEE SHEET BATMAN.. they sound AMAZING!!!!! Thank you Artist. Great gear! Great service!
Hey. This Artist "Grungemaster" is a good guitar!
By: Rob McCarthy on 22 October 2018I've always liked the look and sound of the Fender Jazzmasters but they are way outside of my budget. This Artist 'Grungemaster' is a good copy and I like that it doesn't have the vibrato tailpiece and extra tone switches of the Jazzmaster. I like the solid tailpiece and bridge. More stable. The P90 style pickups sound great. The neck and fingerboard is excellent (I lowered the bridge and action a little). It looks and feels great and I like the white body with just a hint of gold sparkle. Classy. The sound variation between pickups is excellent, and there's very little hum for single pole pickups. Very happy with it. Great value and it looks, plays and sounds like a much more expensive model!
Value for Money
By: Gary Potter on 14 September 2018Just received the grunge master after waiting for a restock. Wow. Quick set up, tune up and plugged it in. It's no Fender but for my eyes and ears it's a definite winner. Frets need a polish (minor issue) and a good set up when I get around to it will see this guitar play way better. P90s sound great. Never had them before in any guitar I've owned. Not a blemish, scratch or knock on the entire guitar. Do yourself a favour and buy this instrument. You won't regret it. Gnosis is next. Thank you artist guitars.
Grungemaster
By: Mark on 16 August 2018Arrived super quick. Cool little fun guitar for the price. Sits between my Gretsch and my Mustang on the rack! The colour was not quite right, but I was offered a replacement or a discount. I took the discount as the colour didn't really affect performance. Quick response. Quick solution. Discount refunded into my account same day!
Grungemaster
By: Chris V on 21 June 2018I've got a large guitar collection and I can confidently say the grungemaster is my favourite to play. Excellent quality guitar, awesome to play and a very unique design. I would highly recommend artist guitars to any guitarist, beginner to professional.
Grungemaster
By: Anonymous on 24 January 2018Beautiful looking, beautiful sounding guitar, sounds great through plenty of tones.
Blown Away.
By: Younghusband on 27 December 2017Can't believe how good this thing is. The clarity of notes through distortion/overdrive/fuzz is fantastic. I have all sorts of guitars including high end ones and this is my favorite. hands down. Almost didn't get it but glad I did. Stoked.
Grungemaster
By: Graham Ruffle on 23 July 2017Great little guitar.Excellent quality for the price,This is by no means my first guitar,but it's the one I keep picking up tp play.
Good bang for buck
By: Daniel Rezmann on 24 May 2017Love this guitar. I was 50/50 on deciding whether or not to purchase it. I'm so glad I did because not only is it an easy guitar to play but it also a great sounding guitar. So much so that I've had trouble getting it back off of my wife who loves it a lot more than my old Strat the she has been learning on. Great guitar for the price.
Great Product
By: Jonathan on 4 May 2017Just got my guitar today, and have to say it is great. Sounds good, and plays well. Gladly do business again with Artist.
Wow
By: DAN on 9 April 2017Bought this guitar for a first electric guitar for my son. He is yet to to have a go as i haven't put it down since it arrived. Such good value for money with a proper setup and fret polish etc this will bring years of pleasure for me i mean my son highly recommended.
THUMBS UP
By: RICHARD on 3 March 2017FOR A LOW COST GUITAR IT PLAYS VERY GOOD AND THE SOUND QUALITY FROM THE P90'S AS GOOD AS THE BEST I HAVE PLAYED, FOR THE MONEY IT'S A GREAT BUY
Grungemaster Guitar
By: Anonymous on 22 January 2016I recently received my new Grungemaster. Great guitar. Straight out of the box it looked terrific. Great paint work and the look of a quality instrument. As with all my new guitars straight to the bench for a string change and setup. One of the things that keeps the price down on these guitars is the time spent on setups. I was impressed firstly by the intonation which was perfect. I noticed the 2 way truss rod was in a neutral position which I adjusted to give a small amount of relief then once I sanded and polished the frets then adjusted the action and pup height, re stung with Elixer Polywebs the setup was complete, simple. The neck is great. Nice D shape, a little thicker than I'm used to but great all the same. After the setup the Grungemaster played as good as any of my guitars and that includes my US Telecaster and others. It's hard to believe that this instrument is less than $250. Unbelievable really. I thought I'd have to do major upgrades but no. The Wilkinson P90's sound awesome. Very quiet. The centre position is hum cancelling which gives 3 very distinctive tones. The cap was changed for an orange drop (my preference) not really necessary but I like the difference also the string supports were changed for rollers. The pots are the small variety and work fine and the switch is the strong enclosed type. Not the fragile things they put in Les Pauls !! There really isn't much about this guitar that's bad. The only thing that I noticed which just is me being picky is that the fingerboard inlays are not perfectly centred but seriously, That's It. This is a great guitar. Whatever level of player you are. And that goes for all Artist Guitars instruments. After a good setup including a fret polish, the Grungemaster is gig ready for many years of faithful service. Watch out for the YouTube review !!! ... Toddy
Great value for money, sounds great!
By: Justin Wolthers on 23 November 2015Quick delivery. This is a great sounding guitar and for the price I would not think twice about recommending it to someone. The pickups are clean and sound very Telecaster. Intonation spot on and set up well out of the box. Plays very nicely and solidly built. Yet another great value quality guitar from Artists Guitars.
actually really good
By: nomad2 on 22 November 2015been using it for a couple of months and am quite impressed with the quality and hold up of this instrument. i mean its 250 bucks - obviously it's not the best, but i'm gonna say that i feel like this is worth so much more when i play it. if you're on the fence about purchasing - do it. your money will be well spent.
