IYV ISMR-200 6 String Solid Body Electric Guitar, Black

Hello everyone. First of all, let us get this out of the way. When someone purchases a guitar (whether it is used, refurbished, displayed model, with minor imperfection, or a new one) at some point you are going to set the action, set the intonation, treat the fret board, file the fret ends, replace/modify the knobs/switches/bridge/strings/pickups/neck/etc. to your preference. It is no difference when you buy your vehicle. Eventually, you are going to change/add/replace/modify items on your vehicle to your liking. And that is fine. With that said, please do not count these components as a negative criticism towards these guitars. Let us just focus on the guitar itself. With minor tuning and neck adjustments, these guitars are ready to play right out of the box. As you know, minor tuning and neck adjustments are common with any guitar you purchase. The finish, quality, and construction of these guitars are awesome. The headstock is eye-catching. The neck is straight. The frets do not have dents/divots and are smooth (no sharp edges). The fret board is fine. The body is beautiful. The joints/seems are connected to satisfactory. The hardware (pickup selector or switch/output or input jack/volume & tone knobs or controls/bridge/pickups/pick guard/tuners/electronics/screws/nuts/strap buttons/fret or inlay markers/fret nut) are nice, functional, and tight. There may be some small blemishes or cloudy finishes here and there, fret board might have some kind of dye on it, but nothing really significant that would cause you NOT to play the guitar immediately. I’ve made NO modifications or changed any components on this guitar and had no major issue with feedback noise, guitar getting out of tune from hours of play, components getting loose or not working, breaking strings, electrical issues, etc. Again, everyone has their option on what they consider feedback, guitar out of tune, components getting loose or not working, breaking strings, electrical issues, etc. And that is okay. It also varies on the equipment (amps/stacks/pedals/cables/etc.) you use and how you play these guitars. In conclusion, these guitars are attractive, feel great, look fabulous, sound terrific, entice you to play them and definitely fun to play. I am sold, and I am a HUGE fan of the IYV Guitars! I wished I could have purchased the earlier models when they first came out. If I had the money, I would buy all the IYV models. For an electric guitar under $200.00 and with no shipping fees, these guitars are an excellent investment! I will say it again. Not only are these guitars gorgeous, but they are also a pleasure to play. I hope IYV will continue to produce new models or have older models available because I am excited in purchasing them in the future. Thank you IYV Guitar company/staff for producing this magnificent product!

Excellent mosrite copy guitar, Nice fit and finish, Change strings and good to go . Satin unfinished fast maple neck , Good P90 pickups ,Bigsby type trem is tight and works well. Looks and plays great!! A+++++

First off, I do like the guitar. No sharp frets, plays well, feels great against the body. No neck dive. Tuners seem ok. Fretboard not too dry. Mine came tuned to D standard, for some reason, so I intonated and left it in D. Pickups sound good and take high gain surprisingly well. Be ready to clean. Mine arrived incredibly dirty. Way more than your usual factory dust. Strings immediately made your fingertips black, and there was a weird film of greasy dirt all over the guitar. For example, underneath the pickup rings has a layer of shielding tape like under a pickguard, which is nice, but it had so much grease and dirt that I thought it was signs of burning. Thankfully most of it came off after soaking in warm, soapy water. For the rest of the body, I gave up on wiping with naphtha and went with soapy water followed immediately by a paper towel to keep water from sitting too long. (Naptha for the neck, because it is just wood). After the cleaning, it's great!

I've always wanted a Ventures style guitar but could never justify the expense for a guitar I wasn't sure I would like but this was on sale and I decided to take a chance. Glad I did. This is without a doubt the best inexpensive guitar I have ever acquired. Right out of the box it was completely playable. Even though they were ok I replaced the strings and did a very little fret work and oiled the fretboard. I didn't even have to adjust the saddles. I took it apart to be sure that there were none of the loose or badly soldiered wires but everything was tight and well done. I've had name brand guitars that weren't as well made. Played through an amp it sounds exactly like I had hoped. I might eventually get a set of locking tuners. Normally I would get a roller bridge but damn if it didn't already come with one and the bigsby style vibrato performs perfectly. I just can't put this guitar down. I play it every more than my Fender Jazzmaster.

Nice looking guitar but arrived not in working condition. It appears that the 3 way switch does not work properly but I have to say that Amazon issued a partial refund and I am happy with that. I just hope that I can fix it without to much work....I do like the appearance and quality of the instrument even though I have to make the repair....It would have been nice if the maker sent a replacement switch...........

Anyone who has owned and enjoyed playing an original 'The Ventures' model Mosrite built in the 1960s, will enjoy playing this IYV model, though you'll immediately spot the differences. the upper/lower horns on the IVY are reversed compared to the Mos, the prominent horn is on the upper side. The vibrato is OK, and will get you by until you can install a better version. The black finish is nice but It would be great if IVY could offered this one in pearl white (expensive) or plain gloss white, with clear coat. My original '65 Mos is actual pearl white with mulitple base coats, and six coats of clear laquor; some of the Mos models received 12 laquor coats, making it rather expensive starting at $600 in 1965. Present prices for a verified genuine mid-60's Ventures Model Mos with case are eye-watering, which makes this IYV 'tribute' easy to own if you can grab one. There were no finish scuffs/dings on the copy I received, and though tthe neck isn't as thin and fast as the legacy Mos the IYV is very playable. I have only two gripes with this one: I will swap the stock vibrato for a 'moslike' or 'mosby' model (a bit hard to locate but in the past Amz or performance music had them) and at the same time, will install a graphite nute and zero fret; the zero fret on the Mos was one of the first and it's never had a tuning issue. I considerred a fender style roller nut such as Eric Johnson used, as when it's installed corectly, eliminates any tuning problems. Zero fret installs should be performed by experienced owners or a tech who has installed them. When this IYV arrived the carton was enclosed in a huge outer box with 12 times the necessary volume needed to protect it. On opening, IYV had done a great job of packing, with well-placed styrofoam inserts, with the guiar inside a smooth styrofoam baggie. I immediately saw that the stock vibrato bar and spring had been dislodged, but it was easily put back into place. The vibrato is a bit floppy, and though it works, he spring must be cut down or replaced. The stock strings were rust and corrosion-free thanks to IYVs anti=rust paper string wrap and will play fine for a a day or two. The frets are well polished, level with no buzz or sprout. The volume and tone controls work smoothly, the output jack, toggle switch and pickups are all noise free and sound good. The stock tuning keys are OK, only slightly loose so will be fine until I decide on vintage or locking. The weight difference between the heavier mahogany IYV and the original Mosrite is immediately apparent, however the IYV handles and plays beautifully. Whether you intend to perform upgrades or are happy playing this guitar in stock form, you will enjoy owning it; buy one now or prre-order while you can.

good price for a mosrite copy, good finish, good set up, neck good, action not bad out of box, have not played yet. looks great.

As a fan of the Ventures and, more so, Ricky Wilson (look him up, kids). Now, as soon as it arrived, I gutted it and painted it surf blue. That totally made it pop. Of course, it's not a Moserite, but ... It's pretty darned close. Good sound, good vibe. The trem is the only real issue I have with it, but, again, it's not a Moserite in that aspect. All in all, it's a groovy guitar that I love. Set up was minimal. Value is exceptional. Hold tune, but I am still going to replace the tuner with locking. I did change the bridge for more stability.