LTD: ST-213 Maple

It's the first day of April, the month of this year with no public holidays (darn!) & to top the rot, it's a Monday. So in an attempt to lighten things up for me, I went on an LTD try-out spree at Davis. The guitar you see above is new for 2013, the ST-213 Maple & it's easily my pick of the bunch.

This alder body Strat type guitar is a plain Strat wanna-be, there's nothing to hide, it's rather obvious & blatant but the manufacturer did well to reinterpret the headstock which wasn't too difficult from the looks of it. Anyway, the guitar in question showed a splendid level of QC & we'd soon understand that Vietnam is another one of those much overlooked manufacturing hotbed, especially for the major brand names looking to trim costs & keep things competitive. We keep in mind the fact that Marshall amps embrace the Vietnam QC as well & we need only look at the MA & DSL series to keep things in good perspective.

This ST-213 plays like a good Strat but it's not an entire embrace & the neck profile accounts for that difference. It's as rounded as it should be but you couldn't help feel that slimmer make which I'd wager to be intentional. A little different it might be but a complete departure it is not. 

Coming to the tones on board, all the Stratty, twangsome goodness are there but these pickups were not voiced to duplicate the Fender voicings per se. The manufacturer did well to keep them contemporary & sounding appealing in both clean & driven modes. They might sound a little brash for some but this isn't a bad manifestation. Please be informed that the bridge pickup isn't wired to any of the tone pots like how a Strat was wired when it debuted like 50 years ago...

This is a great sounding guitar, it's a great pretender so to speak & very affordable as well.

LTD ST-213 Maple
Availability: Davis GMC
Price: $395 (final) *Bag not included

*Thanks- Janet & company :-)