NGD - Silver Grey Greg Bennett Malibu MB-1

[Ahnlaashock]

My Fastback has a maple neck with a maple board. The wood used for the neck itself is no where near even Squier Affinity Quality. I will take a couple of photos. It is low grade maple with the remains of a small knot dead center of the neck. The headstock is grafted and out of better grade maple.
An IC Standard would have a one piece maple neck with a skunk stripe, and even the wood used for the stripe would be higher quality than that used for the main part of this neck.
Again, I will say that you will never know it playing the guitar, but I like to tell the whole truth, good and bad.

 

[hardin holly]

YEAH THE NECKS ON MINE LOOK NOTHING LIKE THAT THE TWO SQUIER STANDADS I HAD ONE WAS MADE IN CHINA GOT IT NEW FROM MUSICIANS FRIEND COMPLETE GARBAGE FRETS WERE TERRIBLE NO SKUNK STRIPE ON THE CHINESE ONES THE OTHER ONE MAKE IN INDONISIA BY CORT MUCH BETTER BUT THE FIRST 7 FRETS WORE OUT FAST AND BOUGHT IT LAST WINTER ONE OF THE SCREWS THAT HOLD THE JACK PLATE DRILLED TO CLOSE TO THE EDGE SO WOOD BROKE WOULD NO LONGER HOLD TOOK THE PICKGUARD OFF TO SHIELD CAVITY HORIBBLE ROUTING AND THEY JUST PAINTED OVER ROUGH EDGED SAWDUST MY MALIBUS ARE FACTORY SHIELDED AND SOME OF THE BEST ROUTING I HAVE EVER SEEN AND THE JACKSON DINKY MADE IN JAPAN THAT I JUST SOLD HAD A SLICED HEADSTOCK LIKE THAT NOT A CHEAP GUITAR

 

[hardin holly]

OH ANOTHER THING ABOUT MY LAST SQUIER STANDARD I HAD UP TO ABOUT TO MONTHS AGO THE TONE POTS WERE WIRE BACKWARDS IT HAD CERAMIC PICKUPS NOT THE ALNICO LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO BE THINK IT WAS A MISTAKE BY CORT BUT STILL FENDER SAYS THEY CHECK THESE THINGS FOR QUALITY CONTROL BUT I GUESS THEY DONT DO A VERY GOOD JOB NO EXCUSE FOR ANY OF THIS MY MALIBU MB3 HAD IT ALL APART PUT IN THE FENDER PICKUPS OTHER THAN THAT ALL STOCK AND PRETTY MUCH PERFECT EVERYTHING AND I BOUGHT IT USED AT THE END OF SPRING 0%FRETWARE AND IT WAS MADE IN 2002 I BOUGHT IT OFF EBAY USED BLOWS AWAY THE NEW SQUIERS WILKINSON TREMOLO GROVER TUNERS 3 PIECE AMERICAN ALDER BODY EASTERN HARDROCK MAPLE NECK/FINGERBOARD DUNCAN PICKUPS BIG STRAP PEGS 2 ON THE BOTTOM THERE IS NO SQUIER THAT COMES STOCK WITH ALL THIS OH ALMOST FORGOT FULLY SHIELDED RETAL PRICE WAS 639.00

 

[techowiz]

Can anyone tell me if the Greg Bennet mb-1 comes with Duncan designed pickups? PUPS don't say it on them.... Also I am looking at a Squier Affibity strat vs the MB-1. Is the Affinity a BETTER choice?

 

[Ahnlaashock]

http://gregbennettguitars.com/guitars/electric/

 

[techowiz]

http://gregbennettguitars.com/guitars/electric/

? Does this mean the better choice is the MB-1?

 

[Ahnlaashock]

I have no experience with the MB-1. I have the Fastback and the TR-1.
That site has all of the specs on it for the entire line.

 

[techowiz]

I've been trailing this one for a while, biding my time. Common story: kid wants to play guitar and gets guitar, amp, accessories for Christmas; after 3 weeks decides that learning to play a musical instrument is real work, not fun. Parent sells guitar, amp, accessories and buys the kid something else.

As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of Greg Bennett Designs electric guitars, which are made under his label by Samick. My first Bennett, a Malibu MB-2/2, a model now out of production, I got for an incredible steal of a deal.

Today's NG is another Greg Bennett Malibu - an MB-1/M1. The Malibus are the classic Strat body style, but smaller and lighter. My MB-2 is bright red (see my gallery), but this MB-1 is a new color: Metallic Silver Grey. I've never seen it before, and it isn't even listed on their website yet. I haven't had an opportunity to take a bunch of pics, so a couple will have to do for now.

The MB-2 is SSH; the MB-1 is the classic SSS Strat layout. Body made in Indonesia - not sure of the wood but could be Ash. More checking will clear that up. Pickups are Duncan-designed, made in Korea, all cavities completely shielded. The body is perfect - as I had hoped, since its only 2 months old.

I had to buy the whole kit to get the guitar; I'll flip the amp, etc. I paid quite a bit more for the MB-1 than the MB-2 - mainly because Dad plays guitar, and the guitar was brand new. I bargained the price down to about 2/5 of the original purchase price, but it was still over $200. I had been following this for a while, so it wasn't a surprise.

Got it home and plugged in. It sounds simply amazing - as good as the MB-2, and puts everything else I have to shame. Mr. Bennett clearly knows how to design a fine-sounding guitar.

I have lots of mods in the pipeline for my Squiers; these two guitars need no modifications - they're beautiful to play, beautiful in sound and intonation, already have fine electrics, and the attention to detail is overwhelming. Every little thing is perfect.

One interesting feature is that the fretboard buttons are all on one side (low E side) of the fretboard. Looks cool, but is also really useful.

The Metallic Silver-Grey is an awesome finish - photos don't even begin to capture it. The first pic was the best I could manage right now, and it doesn't do it justice - it just looks grey. Believe me, it ain't so! Think of a 1912 Rolls-Royce Sliver Cloud.

I'm now seriously in hock, and I'll be selling some other guitars and all of the accumulated practice amps to pay for it, keeping the White Strat from Wizzer, and the Wonder-Sunburst-Peavey I stumbled onto at the hospital jumble sale. A lot of the others will probably have to go, maybe even the Tom Delonge. It's worth it, believe me. These are truly amazing guitars.

Jim- how does the GB MB-1 compare to a squire Affinity strat- quality, playability, tone etc?

 

[byronius]

I didn't see anything but ceramic magnets pups in the las comment here
https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/electric_guitars/greg_bennett/mb_1/index.html?no_takeover

 

[byronius]

This just says single coil pickups

 

[techowiz]

Went with Squier Bullett. Tried out a used Samick MB-1 . Not impressed. Neck too thick for my taste, pickups not very good, headstock takes getting used to.

 

[Vinny29]

Does the Samick Greg Bennet Malibu MB-1 have a scarf joint on the neck?

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Does the Samick Greg Bennet Malibu MB-1 have a scarf joint on the neck?

YES - you can see it in photos, and you just revived a 4+ year old thread, it's better to start your own new one

 

[drewcp]

YES - you can see it in photos, and you just revived a 4+ year old thread, it's better to start your own new one

The neck photos in this thread, posted by @Ahnlaashock are not the same model of guitar that @Vinny29 was asking about.

But you are right about one thing. A new thread would be better.

 

[Guitarmageddon]

The neck photos in this thread, posted by @Ahnlaashock are not the same model of guitar that @Vinny29 was asking about.

But you are right about one thing. A new thread would be better.

All Samick Greg Bennett guitars have a scarf joint.....yes a new thread would be good....

 

[Vinny29]

https://www.gluedtomusic.com/blog/1/headstock-and-scarf-joints-explained/

Well, now I understand scarf joints. See attached article. I did not realize that tilted headstock on production guitars this is very common. From the article I don't like a scarf is something to shy away from. I have looking at Greg Bennet MB-1 or MB-2 Strats, appear to be very good quality for cheap. Necks look on the chunky side which I have been desperately looking for in a Strat.

 

[Ahnlaashock]

The Bennet stuff is cheap on the used market, or most of it. The Fastback and the Torino are both excellent guitars that need nothing but the pickups changed. The pickups are usable, but they are one of the reasons the line is priced as it is. Along with the headstock.

 

[Genghis Bomb]

I've been trailing this one for a while, biding my time. Common story: kid wants to play guitar and gets guitar, amp, accessories for Christmas; after 3 weeks decides that learning to play a musical instrument is real work, not fun. Parent sells guitar, amp, accessories and buys the kid something else.

As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of Greg Bennett Designs electric guitars, which are made under his label by Samick. My first Bennett, a Malibu MB-2/2, a model now out of production, I got for an incredible steal of a deal.

Today's NG is another Greg Bennett Malibu - an MB-1/M1. The Malibus are the classic Strat body style, but smaller and lighter. My MB-2 is bright red (see my gallery), but this MB-1 is a new color: Metallic Silver Grey. I've never seen it before, and it isn't even listed on their website yet. I haven't had an opportunity to take a bunch of pics, so a couple will have to do for now.

The MB-2 is SSH; the MB-1 is the classic SSS Strat layout. Body made in Indonesia - not sure of the wood but could be Ash. More checking will clear that up. Pickups are Duncan-designed, made in Korea, all cavities completely shielded. The body is perfect - as I had hoped, since its only 2 months old.

I had to buy the whole kit to get the guitar; I'll flip the amp, etc. I paid quite a bit more for the MB-1 than the MB-2 - mainly because Dad plays guitar, and the guitar was brand new. I bargained the price down to about 2/5 of the original purchase price, but it was still over $200. I had been following this for a while, so it wasn't a surprise.

Got it home and plugged in. It sounds simply amazing - as good as the MB-2, and puts everything else I have to shame. Mr. Bennett clearly knows how to design a fine-sounding guitar.

I have lots of mods in the pipeline for my Squiers; these two guitars need no modifications - they're beautiful to play, beautiful in sound and intonation, already have fine electrics, and the attention to detail is overwhelming. Every little thing is perfect.

One interesting feature is that the fretboard buttons are all on one side (low E side) of the fretboard. Looks cool, but is also really useful.

The Metallic Silver-Grey is an awesome finish - photos don't even begin to capture it. The first pic was the best I could manage right now, and it doesn't do it justice - it just looks grey. Believe me, it ain't so! Think of a 1912 Rolls-Royce Sliver Cloud.

I'm now seriously in hock, and I'll be selling some other guitars and all of the accumulated practice amps to pay for it, keeping the White Strat from Wizzer, and the Wonder-Sunburst-Peavey I stumbled onto at the hospital jumble sale. A lot of the others will probably have to go, maybe even the Tom Delonge. It's worth it, believe me. These are truly amazing guitars.

Those guitars punch *well* above their weight. They are solid body, with Grover tuners, and often have name brand pickups and hardware as well. They are perfect mod platforms.

 

[Exhead]

HNGD I will have to check one out if one pops up locally.