REVIEWED
JTR Linda LN10 JTR Linda LN10
An all-solid mahogany single cut axe designed by a former Gibson Custom Shop manager and yet it costs less than £200! How do they do it?
Words: Tim Slater
The JTR brand is a branch of the Samick family that are designed by American guitar designer JT Riboloff, the former head of the Gibson Custom and RD division and the man who was responsible for developing the Gibson Les Paul Classic. With this impressive pedigree behind it, it isn’t too surprising that the JTR Linda LN10 (the various models in the JTR brand are all designated by different female names) tips an obvious nod towards Gibson but what makes this guitar particularly remarkable is that it offers the player a heck of a lot more in terms of build quality, attention to detail and great tones than its modest price even begins to suggest.
Body & Neck Taken at face value the LN10 is a single cutaway solid body guitar with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a lone humbucking bridge pickup. So far, so clichéd? Perhaps but the high level of expertise driving this project helps the LN10 to nimbly sidestep being unfairly labeled as yet another Pacific Rim wannabe.
The single cutaway body is a flat slab made from two pieces of mahogany fashioned into a familiar single cutaway shape. The general no-nonsense vibe feels similar to a Les Paul Jr.; all the fat has been trimmed off and you are presented with a sleek and purposeful looking rock and roll guitar that just aches to be plugged into a smokin’ hot tube amp cranked up to ‘11’. However, there is quite a lot of
Linda LN10 JTR SRP £179.00
All prices include VAT CONT
ACT
Rosetti Ltd T:
W: 01376 550033
www.rosetti.co.uk 28 3pickup
refinement lurking beneath the skin, the bolt-on mahogany neck uses a trick two-piece neck plate that is neatly recessed into the body whilst the neck itself feels sublimely comfortable thanks to its well rounded but not overly chunky ‘C’ profile. The rosewood fingerboard is fitted with 24 medium jumbo frets, a design that gifts the player with fractionally easier playability by reducing the usual awkward stretch beyond the 20th fret presented by many single cutaway guitars. In terms of overall weight and balance, the
LN10 feels more like an SG than a Les Paul, OK it still tips the scales at a respectable 3.4 kilos (around 7.7lbs) but once the player slings the guitar around their neck the LN10 suddenly feels very light and easy to manage with no worries about waking up with a sore shoulder the next morning. Our only issue is with the bejeweled cap on the volume pot, which we reckon seems a bit glitzy and camp for such an otherwise tough looking street fighter of a guitar as the LN10!
Hardware & Sounds JT Riboloff claims that his humbucking pickups are designed to combine high output with clarity, which actually isn’t too tricky a goal to achieve so long as the ingredients are put together properly. The LN10’s bolt-on neck and thru-body stringing contributes bit of extra zing and you find a workable blend between a more than reasonable output and a bright, articulate top end that seems a lot less one dimensional than you might expect from a single ‘bucker with no coil tap circuit. Indeed, the LN10 is no mere monosyllabic slugger, switching between a guitar pick and finger style instantly demonstrates what a versatile platform this guitar is, equally adept at handling snappy chicken pickin’ licks as it is great thumping power
chords or singing bluesy lead lines. Without knowing the full specs
we wouldn’t want to make any assumptions but considering this guitar’s affordable price and judging by the pickup’s distinctive blend of clarity and power I’d say that it is pretty safe to say that we are looking at a ceramic humbucker. Still, in this context you don’t miss the darker tones that you find with a lower output alnico ‘bucker or even a P-90, the LN10 speaks with a strident voice of its own and it’s a fitting testament to this guitar’s great overall feel and range that you don’t find yourself bemoaning the absence of a neck pickup, humbucking or otherwise! PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
There is always a lot to be said for the merits of the timeless one pickup/single cutaway electric guitar and the LN10 looks every inch the part. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, this guitar punches well above its weight and as we mentioned in our intro, in terms of sheer value for money this JTR is pretty much unbeatable.
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