Monday, 2 July 2012

Korean guitar Shine SIL-510



At first sight, the PRS-like shape with figured wood top and glossy finish (not to mention the fancy fretboard inlays) of this Shine SIL-510 is the kind of things in a guitar that makes it invisible to me...

But the cool pickup covers caught my attention, then the fact that Shine is a Korean brand, so I looked more into details. Shine is the house brand of Saein Musical Instrument Company, that makes guitars for Ibanez, Epiphone and Peavey in Korea and China. Of course after a few decades making guitars for these western brands, they for sure have all the skills needed to release their own models - unless you think Korean people are too stupid for that...

Actually this guitar only has positive reviews anywhere I've looked, as much for its sound than for its finishes, but it's now mostly sold at discount price (around £150 in UK) - so it seems that it will still take a while before musicians trust a brand that cannot claim it's American, European or Japanese. But this was the case with Japan until they could join the club, and I'm sure that things will slowly change. I just wish they'd come up with innovative designs!

Bertram D

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8 comments:

  1. Antony12:17 am

    £150! I've had plenty of these Korean guitars and chinese ones pass through my hands and mostly there really not half bad. If you are a starter guitar player then you have so much better choice these days. when I bought my first new guitar a Yamaha Pacifica I think it cost £130 back in 1993 it was either that or a Squier or god forbid an Encore!

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  2. Furtheron2:16 pm

    But isn't this the way of it... I'm old enough to remember Ibanez as nothing more than a good "copyist" - a certain single cut I remember they did well I played a white one with a maple neck/fingerboard once, the guy in the shop poopooed it as "not real, and the maple is pants"... er look at the old firm's recent offerings, and of course the first issue of "the destroyer"... But then the lawyers sued them and so they started to make their own, the double cut artist was a very very good guitar - a friend had one I coverted for a long time... One day one of these Korean's will find the next big thing and boom they'll be the new Ibanez

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  3. Unknown2:40 pm

    I was casually browsing ebay when I found one of these dirt cheap. I figured i'd take a risk as it's certainly an impressive looking guitar (I have the translucent black version). All I can do is recommend you buy one. As soon as possible. The guitar is incredible value. All the reviews I found for this guitar were all mainly on jazz guitar forums, I play mainly hard rock/punk/metal and it's BEEFY AS HELL. The fretboard is amazing and has a great clean semi-acoustic/strat twang to it when played clean, especially on the neck pickup.

    Get one before they jack the prices up when people find out how good they are.

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  4. Hobbio12:54 pm

    Chase Direct are selling them at £95 plus £20 delivery. Absolute bargain at that price.

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  5. Unknown11:41 pm

    i bought one at xmass time as i am just starting out on guitar ( so i am no expert )
    i run it into a kustom h5 ( all valve ) and it sounds great both clean and with gain

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  6. Unknown4:54 am

    I bought a Shine ES 335 knock-off a couple of years ago. It is the most stunningly beautiful guitar I own. It has a spalted maple top with a cherry burst - golden yellow at the center - and the tuners are to die for, in both appearance and function. Tone? I'd put it up against any Gibson.

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  7. Unknown6:43 am

    Hi people,I'm just commenting on some
    of the prior posts regarding "Shine"
    guitars (Chase Ltd.) has anyone seen their "Shine S1303TG model (tele-style) on their own site,it's an absolute stunner,custom colour &hardware, it must rank as unique for
    this kind of price. (check it out I will) Gatsby.

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  8. mr fare Judge1:19 pm

    hi all I have a shine acoustic dreadnought it sounds amazing I payed £2 for it with no strings I had some strings at home they came with a guitar a got many big moons back but there's one problem it stinks smells wow a mean bad but it sounds so good and at a price you can't even get a pint of beer for SHA! TING! ������

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