Monoprice Indio Cali Classic Electric Guitar - Wine Red, With Gig Bag

First off, I bought this on sale so I'm basing this review on its lowered price. Out of the box this thing is playable. Unlike some other Indio guitars I've bought there were no sharp frets. The action out of the box was too high but still playable, although the string height did not match the fretboard radius for all strings. For example, the A was lower than the Low E, not a big deal but shows the attention to detail you should expect. The nut slots were also cut too high but that's better than being cut too low. The tuners work but are not good and will need to be replaced if you plan to use this guitar a lot. I haven't plugged it in since I'm travelling without my equipment, I just wanted a guitar I could use until I get back home. I got the red model, which is an attractive bright red, not the wine red as advertised. The weight and balance are actually quite good. I really like this guitar and would definitely buy it again.

got with discount for under $100 fret ends where perfect , intonation was spot on ,string height was good . Adjusted p.u. height and played a four hour gig with no problems.

After buying a couple discounted models of strat and tele, both received were obviously previous returns with many flaws. Bad body seams, bad finishes, scratches, bent toggle, ill fitting neck to neck pocket, sharp fret ends ...Both were returned by me to probably be resold yet again. So be advised that when buying the discounted ones. Chances are pretty high that you'll get a previous return. They should at least mention that in the description. Either that or the quality of new ones has gone down quite a bit in the past year. They were not what they used to be that's for sure...Good luck.

this is my second indio guitar. i love both of them

Got this guitar for my son for Christmas I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived so quickly I live in Owen Sound Ontario Canada and it came all the way from California and it here in less than a week and was packed very well and the guitar was in great shape no scratches or was not damaged in any way and it was ready to play had to tune it up the intonation was spot on strings were set at a great height so plugged it in to check the electronics and it was all good sounds great and plays great for the price of this guitar very happy with it I think my son will in joy playing it thank you Monoprice. I will be ordering more from you in the future

Thought I have done better for the price. It looks like the guitar I ordered but the neck was unplayable because of the workmanship and lack of a minimal set up. Cut up my fingers. And I am a pro.

Super guitar few mods and you have excellent instrument

I had to send it back, one of the pickups were bad.

The guitar arrived fast and in great shape. The frets, fret ends and nut needed a bit of TLC, but after a bit of tweaking, it's an excellent guitar. I like the neck.... plugged in, the guitar sounds great.

I am a guitarist with 50 years experience, semi-pro, have owned hundreds of guitars, and currently own several high-dollar and budget guitars. I mod guitars as a hobby and for friends. This is the second Indio I have bought in a couple of months. The first was for myself, nice finish, a couple of high frets required filing and crowning. The tuner on the high E was wonky. I removed the neck to reshape the headstock and smooth the fret ends, reinstalling the tuners seems to have solved that problem. I installed a P90 in the bridge. My adult son, also a long time player, tried it out and was impressed, so I bought him the wine red one, and he is off on his own project.

Easy to play. I don't know how they make any money selling at this price. Didn't even have to do a set up. Amazing.

I would recommend this product Cali Strat Style Guitar for reasons above and one more observation the vintage fret wires being smaller improve your playing and bends are still easy also weight of guitar us just right not heavy but not to light thanks, monoprice for this good buy!

This axe is super in 2 ways cheap and sounds great also.

guitar came in real good shape, nice finish. all the equipment advertised was there. the fret edges need a lot of work almost all are very sharp has to be refiled to play. other than that a real good buy.

The 3rd Indio I've purchased and it's turning into my favorite. All it needed was a setup when I got it, which I do myself and I have been playing the guitar every day since. I have ordered some upgrades and will install myself, as for the people who say just buy a more expensive guitar, 1) more money doesn't always mean better and 2) I'm replacing with the parts that I want with what I like, and I would have to do that with a higher priced guitar anyway. These guitars are great for the guitarist who likes to do their own work and play around with different pickups and such, trying to find their own sound. The best part is, if you decide you don't like the guitar, you're not out a lot of cash and you could always donate the guitar to a school or local music program. No matter what, how could anyone not see these guitars as a win win.

I'd seen a lot of youtube reviews on these and decided to take the plunge and try one. GOOD decision ! The color is a deep wine red, and looks even nicer than the picture. The fit and finish are excellent, no flaws I could spot. The neck pocket was tight. The maple neck is comfortable and easy to play, no fret sprout on the edges. Out of the box the action is set at a comfortable level and intonation is pretty accurate. The tonal quality is good with distinct variations when using the 5 way switch. The non-branded tuners seem to work well, And the included gig bag is pretty nice, not just a dust cover. I've been playing for 40+ years, have owned many guitars, and this rivals ones costing 3-4 times more. I couldn't be more pleased.

Really impressed with the quality of this guitar for this price ranger. Only had a it a few weeks now but it has held up great to daily use. I may replace some of the hardware of time but you can't beat the intro price for this gear.

After viewing tons of guitar reviews online I settled for the Monoprice Cali Classic in red. All the great reviews did it justice. Great right out of the shipping box, neck is straight, great satin finish, minimal hum on the pickups (I will add shielding later), plugged right in and it played great.

I ordered two of these, not really knowing what to expect. I was amazed at the quality you get for the price. The fit and finish is gorgeous, and it sounds awesome. I’ve seen a few reviews talking about the fret ends needing to be smoothed, but mine were fine. Is it a $1,000 guitar? No, but it’s still a great looking and great sounding guitar - especially for the price.

I purchased the wine red Indio Classic and couldn't be happier. The maple fretboard is super smooth and the fret edges are sanded to perfection. The plastic nut is also great. This guitar has better finished workmanship on it when compared to my Michael Kelly 59' Thinline and Fender Tele. I wanted to get an affordable Strat styled body guitar. I happened to watch Darrell Braun Guitar review on Youtube for this guitar. He stated it was an awesome buy and he is right. The pickups on this guitar with my amps sound amazing. I was lucky enough to purchase it for the promo price of $79.99. It came with a decent gig case backpack, tools, and trem bar. The strings that came with it are good with sustain and playability. I usually put Ernie Super Slinkys on my guitars. But wont on this guitar just yet. Because the strings that were shipped with it are great as is. Barely even had to tune 1 string on the guitar that was shipped to me. Indio did a great job on this guitar. I really don't know how the competition can compete with this quality and price.