REVIEW > MJ GUitars
Switching to the bridge pickup opened
up some bluesy, cutting lead tones that
rang with a bit of natural overdrive when
I dug in, as well as enough low-end foundation to feel punchy. The overall tonal
character was complex and three-dimensional, and as I sustained chords or ran
through Radiohead-inspired arpeggios, the
Duncan P- 90 rang through the Champ
with long, almost pulsing sustain.
With the Champ cranked up, the bridge
P- 90’s harmonic complexity increased. I
heard an appreciable gain in fatness without any of the unwanted midrange honk
I occasionally get from my Les Paul. The
combination of the Groovemaster with the
classic Fender combo was killer, with crisp
cutting grit and tasty overtones all over the
frequency spectrum.
I plugged into a Carvin V3M for some
modern distortion, noting the guitar’s ability to remain articulate as the tubes saturated to thrash levels. With a slight scoop
in the EQ, I got a punishing grind with
ample harmonics and good clarity across
almost all the gain ranges. The bridge P- 90
exhibited a controllable, slightly micro-phonic quality at the highest levels of gain
that let me squeeze an extra ounce of angry
intensity out of the instrument.
the Verdict
It’s cool that MJ combines bold new curves
with a vintage flair and proven, quality
components, because the result is a guitar
that, in many ways, transcends genre. The
range of clean tones on this guitar is exceptionally wide, and the 6-string can move
from warm to concise in ways that make it
an excellent choice for use as a funk, blues,
or even a solidbody jazz vehicle. It’s a showcase for the often overlooked P- 90 pickup,
and its ability to bring together the toastiness and midrange girth of a humbucker
with the clarity and percussive response
of a single-coil, makes it a beautiful rock
machine for anything from Mountain to
Wolves in the Throne Room. Cool, classic,
and forward looking, the Groovemaster is a
master of the multi-faceted as well. Players
not hung-up on tradition are going to love
what this thing can do.
Rating:
Buy If...
you want a freshly styled solidbody
that retains key vintage appointments
and delivers feel and tone beyond
what you expect for the price.
Skip If...
you can’t handle the curves.
MJ Guitar
Engineering
Street $1,279
mjguitar.com
or use a mobile device to hear
audio clips of the guitar at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/feb2012
1
Comfortably curvy and dripping in tone.
The New ResoMax Wraparound Bridge. resomaxw.com
140 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2012
premierguitar.com
