Electric Guitars   Bass Guitars   Acoustic Guitars   Guitar Amps   Effects Pedals   Keyboards   Microphones   PA Systems   Mixing Desks   Studio   Software   Accessories   Books & DVDs   Home Contact Us FAQ Forums

Crafter Cruiser JD-5 Acoustic Guitar

 

Review of the Crafter Cruiser by The Man in the Jar 

At the time of the review this guitar was retailing at well under £100. What can be expected for that price? Let's see...

Features of the Crafter Cruiser 

Tuners - Sealed, unbranded mini-tuners with large chrome knobs. These felt smooth and worked well.

Headstock - A simple and graceful 3-a-side design reminiscent of the classic styling of the more expensive Takamine guitars. Very attractive.

Nut - Antiqued plastic nut abuts the fretboard and is tidily finished.

Neck - Lovely slim profile neck made from mahogany or some close relative. This is an excellent neck for a budget instrument.

Fretboard - Rosewood fretboard has a stripey grain alternating from dark to medium-dark brown. Unlike many guitars I've seen from China the wood seems to be nicely oiled, so it doesn't have that nasty dry feeling under your fingers.

Frets - Medium thin and nicely polished. The other common Chinese gripe of slightly tarnished fretwire is not evident on the Crafter. 

Action - Good, medium action. I could play bar chords at the tenth fret without too much exertion.

Body - The spruce top and the mahogany back and sides lend this guitar the classic, timeless look of traditional acoustic guitar design. Although labelled as Dreadnought it is in fact a manageable size of the genre. The body is bound front and back with white binding which is pinstriped on the front. The rosette around the soundhole is also pinstriped.

Bridge - Simple rosewood bridge with a white plastic saddle compensated at the second string. The strings are held in place by traditional bridge-pins.

Strap-buttons - One medium strap button on the bottom of the body.

Finish - Extraordinarily good considering the price.

 

Sound of the Crafter Cruiser JD-5

I was surprised by the well-balanced voice of the Cruiser, although it lacks the woody depth of its more illustrious forbears it nonetheless has enough chime to reward careful fingering with a sweet chordal sound. The fitting of good D'Addario strings as factory standard certainly helps in creating this good first impression. Other budget manufacturers, especially those shipping out of China should take note.  

 

Overall Impressions of the Crafter Cruiser JD-5

Classic good looks, robust construction, great playability and good sound. All of these shouldn't really turn up together in a package as inexpensive as this. I can find nothing to say against this little acoustic guitar at this price. Sure, if you have more money, buy a more expensive guitar. But if your budget is tight then the Cruiser delivers more than you deserve for the price you pay. Highly recommended. 

Buy the Crafter Cruiser JD-5

Visit the iMuso Guitar Forum

What our customers say

Resources

Track TNT Parcel   Reviews of Electric Guitars   Other Equipment Reviews   Learning Resources 
Other Shopping   Bands to See   Studios to Use  

Resource and Learning 

Copyright Musik Produktiv MMV - Home of Electric Guitars Online