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Sterling AX40
Retailing : SGD$880
Availability : BGW Guitars
When talking of "subsidiary" labels of the big brands, with more popular ones being Epiphone and Squier series of guitars, reactions of "urgh" and inferiority normally plague / cloud judgment for the instrument's worth. Yet, there is a surge of mid-ranged to lower-ranged budget targeted guitar models and labels being created. This goes to show that guitar makers are recognizing the growing demand for such guitars, and Music Man is surely not lagging behind.
Enter the new subsidiary label by Music Man (so now its Sterling by Music Man by Ernie Ball... wow... quite the mouthful!).
...and you will find as you continue reading, that they aren't fooling around!
Finish:
The AX40 literally is a straight copy of the popular Music Man's Axis. This should be no stranger to the EVH fan. So let us begin with the first thing you would notice with the AX40, the Quilted Maple Veneer Top.
Yes, you didn't read wrongly. Its a veneer top, meaning it does not really contribute to the tonal qualities of the guitar, but rather just improves your stage presence (and envy of friends.. haha...) Incredible quilted waves on this top, glossed to a shine. I went with the Transparent Blue, which really accentuates the dark colored quilt. Couple this with the cream binding that surrounds the body, and you have an incredible looking guitar.
Let us not forget, it comes with a matching headstock, adding to its overall beauty (and for those concerned with resale value / stock body and neck). White pearloid tuning keys, matched with chrome hardware. The only flaw of the finishing, which isn't a flaw at all actually, is that the gloss makes it a serious finger print magnet. I've forgotten how many times I had to wipe the thing as I shifted it to take the photos.
Fit:
Nothing out of the ordinary to report here. Everything is fitted to a tee, nicely set up to standard tuning (Kudos to Brendon for that). Contributing to this tuning stability are 2 factors: Double Locking Tremolo System, Neck Plating.
If you notice, there is 5 screws instead of the usual 4, with the plate formed to the contour. This, in my opinion, seems to be more stable. The tremolo system is a dive only system, with a small issue that I'm unsure of.
^This is contoured.
^This is simply a blade.
If you can even see with this picture, I noticed that the bridge has one side contoured around the pin, whilst the other simply has a blade. An anomaly for me, but it doesn't really affecting tuning or whammy capabilities, so no issues here.
Quality:
Quality Control is superb. I find no dings, scratches, or discoloration anywhere. No loose corners, electronics are smooth and working. The jack also feels smoother than the one I got on my Ibanez.
Playability:
Lets start with the neck. With the AX40, Sterling has done what some manufacturers are veering towards, an a-symmetrical neck. I must say, I did not expect to find the neck (which upon first notice seemed thick), to be as playable as my Ibanez (Wizard Neck and all). But the a-symmetrical neck does make a significant change in feel. With this, not only does it make available some wood for support (my thumb), reaching of strings seems simple enough.
The finish of the neck feels like its unfinished (Hmmm... doesn't sound right), and feels comfy and smooth. If you have an Ibanez, that's the sort of finish I'm talking about. If you look carefully, it seems to stop right the headstock.
Like all single-cuts, the Axis suffers from fret access above the 19th fret. So unless you got ultra long fingers, you'll probably be only tapping to reach everything else.
The contour, however, does contribute to comfort (hand nicely wrapped around) when reaching that 19th fret.
Pardon my ignorance, but this is the first whammy bar design that I like. Instead of the typical turn the bar until its almost fully screwed in, this comes with a screw for you to tighten, and even after you tighten the screw, you can swing the whammy bar around! Awesome.
Tone:
Alright, now for the really important stuff. The pick ups are very balanced. Tone from the neck pick up gives very even bass, mids and treble. In fact, its so even, it sounds warm, and not exactly the tight sort of sound one might expect from a solid body.
The bridge has more cut, albeit maintaining a slight bit of airy space. I don't know about most people, but if you're going to add in a heavy mix of distortion, I would recommend a change of pick ups to something more tight.
It does, however, sound sweet with a touch of saturated overdrive, giving it a slight hint of air amidst the saturated tones. Sustain is pretty decent, though not crazy singing. I utilize it for blues, so no issues there.
Most would probably lament for the lack of a tone knob, but I don't think that its such a big issue. In fact, for beginners I think it presents a lack of options that is refreshing, pushing you to look for other solutions.
Conclusion:
At this price point, Music Man is not fooling around. What we are presented here is a quality instrument, built specifically for playability and stage presence. The lack of a tone knob is probably the only gripe people might hold, but you won't miss it once you start playing.
Most would probably switch out the pick ups to something of their liking, given not all might like the more open sounding pick ups. A word of caution though, when switching your pick ups, make sure to test a combination of caps, as the lack of a tone knob impairs your ability to eq.
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Does it come with a gig bag or something?
